PESHAWAR: The tribal women have expressed satisfaction over initiation of reforms process in Fata but rejected replacement of Frontier Crimes Regulation with Riwaj Act.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, Nausheen Jamal Orakzai, the president of Qabailee Khor, a newly established NGO of tribal women, welcomed the government’s decision about merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She also demanded representation of tribal women in policymaking bodies.

Flanked by Qabailee Khor general secretary Sakeena Mohmand, Nadiya Dawar, Sara, Dr Noreen and Safiya, Ms Orakzai said that the newly set up forum would raise voice for women of tribal area as they were unaware of their rights.

Chief of newly established NGO asks govt to explain Riwaj Act

She said that government was duty bound to take all stakeholders into confidence before implementing its reforms plan because women did not know about the details of Riwaj Act.

She said that government should explain Riwaj Act before its implementation in Fata so that they could know about the changes being brought in the area.

Ms Orakzai said that formation of the new organisation was a compulsion for tribal women as successive governments kept them in dark about their rights. She said that efforts would be made to provide standard education to tribal girls, women and special persons besides imparting them digital training and ensuring their access to relevant laws.

Ms Orakzai said that tribal women would not feel a change unless they were given all the rights being enjoyed by women in settled areas of the country. She also stressed the need for collecting correct data of tribal women in census so that they could be provided with facilities in accordance with their population.

Other members of the forum said that they would create political awareness among women and would keep them informed about any new development in the reforms process. They added they would also raise voice for getting representation for tribal women in provincial assembly and local bodies.

They said that they would arrange skill development training for tribal women so that they could earn their livelihood with honour.

They said that non-Muslim women were also part of the forum as they were also facing the same problems.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2017