ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: President Asif Ali Zardari signed on Friday two orders, Amendments to the FCR (2011) and Extension of the Political Parties Order (2002) to Tribal Areas, and all political parties welcomed the move.

The orders set into motion far-reaching administrative, judicial and political reforms in tribal areas the president had announced two years ago, but which could not be implemented so far for several reasons, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

“The signing has made the process of reforms irreversible and any attempt to undo it will require dismantling of consensus among the stakeholders and another order to be signed by the president,” he said.

The signing ceremony at the Presidency was attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers, tribal elders from the seven tribal agencies and five frontier regions, Fata parliamentarians and the governor and ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, diplomats, representatives of the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation, secretaries and representatives of the Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan People’s Party, PML-Q, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl).

The spokesman said the reforms hammered out after consultations with all stakeholders had been approved in principle on Aug 12, 2009, at a meeting in the Presidency. The meeting had left it to the president to announce it any time he deemed fit.

In November 2004, he said, the Senate had unanimously passed a resolution calling for changes to the FCR.

In 2004, the late Benazir Bhutto constituted a special Fata Reforms Committee of the PPP.

Subsequently, she filed a petition in the Supreme Court for political reforms in tribal areas.

In November 2004, the Senate adopted a PPP resolution for reforms in Fata and in August 2005 it adopted a report of its Committee on Human Rights recommending changes in the FCR.

President Zardari said legal and political reforms would rid the tribal people of the century-old bondage and usher them into the mainstream national life while respecting local customs and traditions.

“Some may say that reforms are not enough and much more needs to be done. Let it also not be forgotten that no-one took even a single step in the last one hundred years to reform the FCR and give political rights to the people.”

The president said a bigger “challenge of defeating the militant mindset awaits us”.

“In the long run, we must defeat the militant mindset to defend our country, our democracy, our institutions and our way of life.”