PESHAWAR: The political leaders of tribal areas have demanded of the government to introduce reforms in Fata and rehabilitate displaced persons as soon as possible.

Addressing a seminar here on Thursday, they said government should give due rights to the tribal people. The seminar was arranged by Fata lawyers Forum (FLF) that was attended by people belonging to different segments of the society.

The speakers urged the government to announce a comprehensive package for the displaced tribal people and a timeframe for their rehabilitation or open Torkham border for them so that they could migrate to Afghanistan.

Syed Akhunzada Chattan of PPP, Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed of JI, Haji Iqbal Afridi of PTI, representative of Bara IDPs Sohbat Khan Afridi, FLF president Ijaz Mohmand and Malik Khan Marjan addressed the seminar.

Speakers seek constitutional rights for tribal people

Majority of the speakers said that without amending Article 247 of the Constitution restoration of peace and development was impossible in Fata. They added that tribal people were deprived of their basic constitutional and legal rights even in that modern era. The bill for amending Article 247 of the Constitution, they said, was under process in Senate. The bill needed to be passed at the earliest so that tribal people could get their due rights without any further delay.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chattan said that tribal people and citizens of settled areas were living in the same country and had the same constitution but they were treated differently.

He said that all the political parties wanted to bring reforms in Fata but bureaucrats were not extending cooperation to them rather they were creating hurdles in that regard. If tribesmen were not given the status of real Pakistanis, the laws should be amended so that they could get rid of black laws, he added.

Mr Rasheed said on the occasion that the government was democratic but it had no authority to implement its policies in Fata. He said that all the issues being faced by tribal people could be resolved if all the political parties joined hands for the purpose with sincerity and honesty.

Iqbal Afridi said that both provincial and federal governments did not pay proper attention to the issues of tribal people. “If the name of the province can be changed through 18th Amendment then why Article 247 can’t be amended,” he questioned.

Malik Marjan alleged that Fata Secretariat embezzled billions of rupees in the name of development of tribal people. He alleged that Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) was also a failed institution. He demanded of the government to repatriate IDPs to their houses in Waziristan as 90 per cent areas were declared of terrorists.

Ijaz Mohmand said that tribal people were Pakistanis but still they were not given the basic rights, which were provided to the residents of settle areas. He threatened that tribal people would stage sit-in in Islamabad if they were not given their due rights. The protest would continue till acceptance of their demands, he added.

Mr Mohmand said that innocent people were killed in drone attacks but the government was least bothered to raise the issue at international level. If timeframe was not announced for rehabilitation of tribal IDPs then it would be better to allow them to migrate to Afghanistan, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2014