PESHAWAR, Dec 17: Human rights activists and tribesmen on Saturday called upon the government to conduct local government elections in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) under the relevant law and through adult franchise.

The participants at a day-long consultation arranged by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on “Reforms Process in Fata” stated that the selection of people for agency councils last year had failed to serve its purpose.

Proper elections should be held for the establishment of local government system there, they demanded.

They pointed out that while the Fata Local Government (Elections) Regulation, 2002, had gone into force, members, mostly backed by the administration, were selected for the councils.

HRCP vice-chairperson Kamran Arif explained the objectives of the consultation and gave background information about the reforms process in Fata.

The gathering recommended that the Political Parties Act should be extended to Fata and ban on political activities should be lifted. “For conducting free and fair polls it is necessary that census is held and fresh voter lists are prepared before the next general elections,” they suggested.

The participants said that the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) was the remnant of colonial rule and a hurdle in the enforcement of the fundamental rights in Fata.

They recommended that employment opportunities should be generated for the tribal people and they should be provided proper wages with the introduction of the system of social security.

Chairman of FCR Reforms Committee Justice (retd) Mian Muhammad Ajmal informed the audience that the committee had recommended establishment of a tribunal on the pattern of a high court for the enforcement of fundamental rights in Fata.

He stated that they had recommended vital changes in the colonial-era FCR aimed at introducing a system of checks and balances.

Justice Ajmal said the committee had finalized the recommendations after thorough discussion on each and every section of the FCR, and was now putting final touches on them.

Although he avoided making the recommendations public at this stage, he hinted at some of the amendments suggested. “We have advised that jirga should be constituted with the consensus of both the parties,” he said.

“We will also recommend changing the name of FCR,” he said, adding that “the tribal people are entitled to all the rights enshrined in the constitution, but at present there is no mechanism for the enforcement of those rights as superior courts have no jurisdiction there”.

Justice Ajmal tried to dispel the general impression that a majority of tribesmen were against the FCR, saying that 90 per cent of the people they had met during their deliberations were against the abolition of the law and only wanted some amendments to it.

“Tribal people are being treated as second-grade citizens and the government should ensure full rights to them enshrined in the constitution of the country,” said I.A Rehman, director of HRCP.