PESHAWAR/ LANDI KOTAL: Fata Political Parties Alliance has blamed the federal government for ignoring political parties in its Fata Reforms Committee (FRC), especially during the committee members’ visit to Khyber Agency, and announced to record their strong protest on the eve of coming visit of the panel’s members to the tribal agency on Monday (tomorrow).

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, the alliance president Haji Mohammad Iqbal Afridi said that political parties being stakeholders were totally ignored which meant that the government was not sincere in bringing any change in the fate of Fata people.

He said that the alliance had decided to continue its struggle for administrative and judicial reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, mainly for abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

Decide to continue struggle for abolition of FCR

Mr Afridi said that the main issue of the people was the draconian FCR law, which had been imposed on the tribesmen since inception of the country. He described FCR as the mother of all ills in Fata, vowing that they would not tolerate it in any longer.

He said that FCR was completely contrary to the basic human rights and the Constitution, and demanded that it should be immediately abolished and Fata merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that the alliance was working for the restoration of durable peace in Fata, abolition of FCR, merger of the region with KP, and securing Pata status for the tribal regions.

General secretary of the alliance Zarnoor Afridi from JI, senior vice-president Nisar Mohmand of ANP, vice-president Jangraiz Khan of PPP, Mustafa Mohmand of Qaumi Watan Party, Ejaz Afridi of National Party and Rahim Shah from Fata Lawyers Forum were also attended the press conference.

“We, all political parties, are unanimous to rid Fata of the draconian law. Progress in education, health and other sectors and infrastructure development is not possible due to the presence of FCR in the tribal region,” Mr Afridi said.

Mr Afridi said that the Fata Reforms Committee didn’t take the alliance and other stakeholders into confidence on the future of the tribal region. He said that the people of Fata had been left at the mercy of tribal chiefs, maliks and KP governor, who all wanted to exploit them.

He announced to hold a protest during the upcoming visit of the panel in Khyber Agency and urged the people to fully participate in the protest demonstration on April 4. Mr Afridi said that they had many expectations from Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, but lamented that the committee adopted the old practice and ignored them in the ongoing reforms and consultation process.

Zarnoor Afridi also demanded amendments to Article 247 of the Constitution to ensure provision of all constitutional rights to the tribal people and extension of jurisdiction of superior courts to Fata. He demanded Rs500 billion package for reconstruction and development in the tribal region.

Nisar Mohmand said that they had rejected the FRC since its formation by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and supported the bill moved by Fata parliamentarians in the National Assembly, suggesting merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In Landi Kotal, representatives of different political parties, civil society and pro-reform elders from Khyber Agency on Saturday demanded complete repeal of FCR and provision of all basic constitutional and human rights to the people of Fata.

The gathering to devise recommendations to be presented before the federal government’s five-member FRC was held at the residence of MNA Shahji Gul, parliamentary leader of six independent tribal MNAs.

Speaking on the occasion, the Shahji Gul said that the existing system was the cause of all injustices meted out to the people of Fata. The participants decided to observe ‘black day’ and a shutter down strike in Landi Kotal bazaar to express their sentiments against FCR during the visit of FRC members to Landi Kotal tomorrow.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2016