PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has reached an understanding with the federal government on the extension in the term of military courts and mainstreaming of Fata, said party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman here on Wednesday.

“The (federal) government has accepted our conditions and we will support extension to the military courts,” he told reporters at the party’s provincial secretariat here.

Mr. Fazl said the government had agreed to the condition that the role of military courts would not be confined to the holding of trial of the people involved in religious and sectarian terrorism.

He said the government hadn’t ensured security of civil judges during the last two years to end dependence on military courts.

“The words religious and sectarian terrorism will not be included in the draft amendment to the law for the extension of (the term of) military courts,” he said.

Insists neither any change to tribal region’s current judicial system nor its merger with KP in five years

The JUI-F chief said modalities regarding the extension of military courts were settled during a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday.

He said the role of military courts was restricted to religious and sectarian terrorism in the 21 Constitutional Amendment.

Mr. Fazl said he was in principle opposed to the establishment of military courts but the prevailing situation forced his party to support ‘such harsh move’.

“If words ‘religious and sectarian terrorism’ are not removed from the proposed amendment to the law, then the JUI-F will withdraw its support,” he said.

The term of the military courts, which were established under in light of the National Action Plan, expired on Jan 7.

The government has been making efforts to take political forces having representation in parliament on board to grant extension to military courts.

Mr. Fazl, whose party is part of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led ruling coalition in the centre, recently opposed the grant of extension to the military courts in its term, saying any such move would be tantamount to the failure of the NAP.

About reforms in Fata, he said the federal government had agreed to his proposal to specify five years term for the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in tribal areas and that after that, aspirations of tribal people about mainstreaming of their region would be sought.

“The (federal) government has agreed to our suggestion in principle. It will carry out extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation activities, build educational institutions and hospitals, and develop basic infrastructure to bring tribal areas on a par with the settled areas of the country,” he replied when asked to elaborate on the Fata mainstreaming plan he proposed to the government.

The JUI-F chief said after five years, tribal people would be able to decide whether they wanted separate province, merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Fata Council for themselves.

“The existing judicial system, including Frontier Crimes Regulation, will remain as such and there will be no merger with the province during five years time,” he said.

Earlier, addressing ulema and teachers of seminaries affiliated with the JUI-F, Mr. Fazl came down heavily on security establishment over the arrest of the students and teachers of religious institutions.

“Security establishment is still patronising militant wings in the country, while students and teachers of madessrahs are terrorised and arrested,” he alleged.

Mr. Fazl accused intelligence agencies of introducing missile and gun culture in society and said ironically, religious parties were held responsible for extremism and terrorism.

Without naming names, he said the ‘ultra-constitutional’ institutions were imposing decisions on the people and that they considered themselves above the Constitution and law.

“Religious parties will give a tit-for-tat response until security establishment gives up victimisation of religious institutions,” he said.

“Bands of militant groups are parading openly, while agencies are targeting seminaries.”

The law-enforcement agencies had raided and sealed a Charsadda seminary run by a local JUI-F leader.

Mr. Fazl said the next 15 years were very important for Pakistan and that there was no room for a mistake.

He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan–Pakistan–India pipeline projects were vital for the country’s future.

The JUI-F chief said India was trying to involve Pakistan in a war to block economic activities in the region.

He said the gas pipeline project with Iran benefited Pakistan and that the latter should take advantage of its strategic location.

Published in Dawn February 16th, 2017