A grand oath-taking ceremony of the anti-merger movement’s Loya Jirga was held in Khyber district, attended by tribal elders, influential figures, and political leaders from various merged districts.

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman and head of Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, administered the oath to the newly elected cabinet and, in his address, declared that the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was carried out without the consent of the tribal people, a clear violation of constitutional and historical principles.

Achakzai recalled that in 1946, British officials in Landi Kotal had explicitly informed tribal elders that the tribes were independent and that joining Pakistan would depend solely on their will. However, he said, FATA was later forcibly merged for political interests.

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He argued that FATA was constitutionally Pakistan’s fifth administrative unit, which was abolished through unconstitutional means. “Until the tribal people’s historical identity, traditions, and political status are restored, constitutional justice in the country will remain incomplete,” he asserted.

Achakzai added that the tribal people are loyal and patriotic citizens, yet they have long faced injustice and discrimination. The merger, he said, has stalled the development of tribal districts and limited educational and employment opportunities for the youth.

Addressing the gathering, FATA Loya Jirga President Malik Bismillah Jan Afridi, Secretary General Azam Khan Mehsud, and other leaders expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in tribal areas, particularly Tirah Valley, where locals have been forced to flee due to ongoing violence.

Participants demanded the restoration of FATA’s former status, the establishment of a separate province or autonomous council, and an immediate hearing of the anti-merger case in the Supreme Court to ensure that tribal people have a say in decisions concerning their future.