ISLAMABAD, July 24: Members of the cabinet committee on Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) have been asked to come up with proposals about repealing or amending the FCR provision that empowers the authorities to raze property of criminals or their relatives as a punishment.

A meeting presided over by Law Minister Farooq H. Naek here on Thursday formed a sub-committee which will meet on July 29 in Peshawar. The sub-committee will brief the law minister on its proposals on Aug 11.

“The meeting failed to reach a consensus on Section 21 of the FCR which is termed barbarian by human rights activists,” MNA Syed Akhundzada Chattan of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas told Dawn.

He was of the view that the process of completing deliberations would take at least six months.

The sub-committee headed by former law secretary Mian Mohammad Ajmal will prepare proposals on sections 21 to 26 and sections 40 to 46 of the FCR.

The sections deal with blockade of hostile or unfriendly tribes and imposition of fines on communities in murder cases.