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| September 23, 2005 | Friday | Sha'aban 18, 1426 |
‘Changes to FCR being considered’
ISLAMABAD Sept 22: Amendments to the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) are under consideration of the government to bring it in conformity with basic human rights as enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan. This was stated by Chairman FCR Reform Committee Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal while speaking at a seminar organized by the Parliamentarians’ Commission for Human Rights here on Thursday.
Justice Ajmal said the amendments would be introduced in Article 246 and 247 of the constitution.
The seminar titled “Fata, FCR and human rights: challenges and responses” was held in the conference hall of Parliament Lodges.
The speakers were of the opinion that the constitution protected the fundamental rights of citizens by giving them the rights to approach high courts and the supreme court, which were not available to the tribesmen under the FCR.
The tribesmen convicted under the FCR can not file an appeal against the political agent’s judgment in the superior courts due to Article 247(7) of the constitution which barred the exercise of jurisdiction of the courts in Fata, they said.
Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid of the MMA, who was the chief guest on the occasion, termed the FCR a draconian law and demanded its replacement with suitable and public-oriented system ensuring the protection of the rights of the people in Fata.
Chief Coordinator of the PCHR Shafique Chaudhry said recommendations of the FCR committee would be put before the governor NWFP and later the president of Pakistan would take decision on it.
The seminar was attended among others by Bakhtiar Mani, Maulana Mohammad Sadiq, MNAs; Riffat Javed Kahlon, parliamentary secretary for telecommunication and information technology, and Senator Mohammad Saeed.
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