KHAR: The pro-FCR elders in Bajaur Agency on Friday reaffirmed their stand not to accept any changes to the present governance system in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“We will not tolerate any reforms in the tribal areas because this will affect the customs and traditions of our area,” said the elders while speaking at a jirga held at the political compound here in Khar. Elders from different tribes attended the jirga.

Almost all participants of the jirga were pro-administration people who have been getting handsome amounts and others benefits from the authority since long.

They claimed that majority of mature people of the agency, including elders and religious leaders, were on the same page in defending the current governance system.

They said that they were against the changes in governance system in the name of reforms. The elders pointed out that the plan to implement reforms would disturb the customs and traditions of tribal elders.

They claimed that the Frontier Crimes Regulation was a suitable governance system in tribal areas, especially for peace and normalcy. They said that customs and traditions were very sacred to every tribesman.

The elders claimed that those who wanted to replace FCR with the country’s regular laws had no knowledge of the drawbacks of Pakistan Penal Code. The participants said that it would be difficult for the tribal people to adjust with the complicated regular laws, and therefore they had been defending the current governance system.

They claimed that FCR was the cheapest and easiest way to ensure speedy justice to the people and urged the government to drop its plan of ending the current governance system. However, the elders demanded of the government to implement Islamic laws in tribal areas if it really wanted reforms.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2016