05 July 2004	Monday	16 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, July 4: The NWFP governor's secretariat has finalized a plan for forming un elected consultative councils in the seven tribal agencies in violation of the government's devolution plan for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Sources said the proposed plan, which awaited the governor's approval, would enhance powers of political agents, who already wielded enormous powers under the Frontier Crimes Regulations.

Under the original local government system, the political agents' posts had to be replaced by agency coordination officers and most of their powers were to be assigned to nazims.

Initially it was proposed that nazims and naib nazims of tehsil and agency councils would be elected directly, but the idea has been dropped, apparently due to the prevailing law and order situation in the tribal belt and lack of complete voter lists.

Under the new plan, an official said, the political agent would perform as the convener of the agency council and preside over its meetings. The councils would assume the role of consultative forums to discuss development activities, law and order issues and other subjects, he said.

The number of seats in each agency council would be equal to the number of union councils there. The Bajaur Agency has 46 union councils; Mohmand Agency, 27; Khyber, 47; Orakzai, 24; Kurram, 47; North Waziristan, 40; and South Waziristan, 40.

Representation of women, lawyers and retired government servants has also been proposed. In each agency council, 70 per cent of the general seats will be offered to local tribes and sub-tribes.

The political agent will nominate people for the seats if any tribe or sub-tribe fails to agree on the nominations within the scheduled time. On 30 per cent seats, the political agents will recommend nominations.

In the event of any difficulty arising in the working of a council the matter would be referred to the political agent, whose opinion would be binding on it, the sources said.