September 14, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 6, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Sept 13: The government has amended the British-time draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation that would be enforced soon after the first-ever local government elections there on Oct 27, governor NWFP, Lt-Gen Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah told Dawn.

“The amendments have been made,” he said. He said that the amendments had brought in the collective responsibility act of the FCR that hitherto provided for the fixing of responsibility of a criminal incident on the tribe. “This was cruel,” he maintained, and said, henceforth, only the family of a tribesman responsible for a criminal act would be held accountable.

Iftikhar said that another amendment incorporated in the Frontier Crimes Regulation provided the tribesmen the right to appeal.

“These amendments will benefit the tribal people. I don’t see any negative reaction. I strongly believe that these changes were long overdue.”

He said that the government had prepared a comprehensive reform package for the tribal region keeping in view the customs and traditions of its people.

He said that the local government system would be introduced in the tribal regions for a population of 3.5 million. He said that the powers of the political agents (to be called the Agency Coordinating Officer in the new dispensation) would be drastically curtailed to empower the Agency Nazim.

“We have learnt from our mistakes in the local government system in the settled districts, and have tried not to repeat them in the tribal regions,” Governor Iftikhar acknowledged.

He said that the number of constituents had been reduced to allow more funds and better management. He said that maliks and tribal elders had been given due representation in the new system in recognition of their traditional role and respect accorded to them in the tribal region.

He said that the maintenance of the law and order in the tribal regions would be the responsibility of a committee that would include the Agency Nazim, the Agency Coordinating Officer and officers from the law enforcement agencies operating in the tribal areas.

“The committee would make collective decisions on issues of law and order, thus curtailing the arbitrary powers of the political agents in the soon-to-be discarded old system,” he maintained.

Governor Iftikhar said that the 20,000 Khasadars — a non- combative tribal force used to oversee security — would be turned into a proper force by giving them proper pay and service structure and training.

The new recruitment, he said, would be done in the tribal agencies on population basis.

He brushed aside the apprehensions that the federal government might eventually turn over the control of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to a cash-strapped NWFP.

“We will definitely ask for money to foot the bill for administering the tribal areas, if they are to be given the control of the tribal areas,” he stressed.

CHANGES IN THE HOME DEPARTMENT: Governor Iftikhar also denied the transfer of secretary home & tribal affairs, Javed Iqbal, and the induction of a retired brigadier as head of the department, had anything to do with the upcoming general elections. “The tribal people felt that the bureaucracy was out to derail the reform process,” he said.

ELECTIONS: He said that there was no cell in the NWFP to oversee the elections and support the so-called favourites. “There are no favourites,” he said. “I am least interested in who wins or loses. My focus is on the reforms in the tribal areas and the development projects in Peshawar.”

The governor said that 20 development projects had been initiated in Peshawar alone that included the widening of roads, construction of flyovers, redesigning of Gor Ghatri, the expansion of Nishtar Hall, and the construction of an amphitheatre and art gallery. “We have sufficient funds for the purpose”, he said.