In a bid to compel the government to announce merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with the rest of the country, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) activists arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to stage a protest demonstration.

The long-march that started from Khyber Agency will conclude at the D-Chowk area of the federal capital, followed by a sit-in to force the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMl-N) led government into acquiescing to the protesters’ demands, Express News reported.

Heavy contingents of Islamabad police, on a high-alert, were deployed at all entry and exit points of the capital city. Containers were also reportedly brought to seal routes leading to the sit-in venue.

After reaching Faizabad Interchange – the place where Tehreek-e-Labbaik protesters held a month-long sit-in, successfully coercing the Nawaz government into expelling a federal minister in November – JI Amir Sirajul Haq spoke to the media.

Questioning the government’s intentions behind not fulfilling its promise of Fata reforms, he said the tribal people are staging protests against the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) law. They want schools and hospitals in their area and all political parties must support Fata’s merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), he added.

By avoiding tabling the Fata reforms bill in parliament, the government was betraying the tribal people, said the JI chief, adding that removing Articles 246 and 247 is necessary in the greater national interest.

“The Almighty has provided the government a golden opportunity to cement their place in tribal people’s hearts… but, unfortunately the rulers are busy addressing concerns of the United Sates,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the National Assembly had plunged into chaos for the second day in a row after the government pulled the Fata reforms package off the agenda, leading to the adjournment of the crucial sitting of the assembly.

The entire opposition, including members of the treasury benches from Fata, protested against the move.

The government was supposed to table the bill for discussion on extending the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court’s jurisdiction over Fata.

The government cited unspecified ‘technical reasons’ for removing it from the  agenda. However, analysts believe that the ruling PML-N, already surrounded in crises, was avoiding resentments of its allies Mehmood Khan Achackzai of PkMAP and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who have been railing against the proposed amendments in Fata reforms.