KHAR, Dec 8: Local leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have termed reforms in Frontier Crime Regulation insufficient and a joke with tribesmen, saying that the government should immediately extend the civil law and basic rights to Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata).

They were speaking at a public meeting held in Pashat in Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur Agency on Saturday. Former MNA Shahabuddin Khan, Rahat Yousaf, Gul Kareem and others spoke on the occasion.

They said that the reforms were a longstanding demand of tribesmen, but they had been disappointed by the government because the reforms were not sufficient to solve problems of the people.

“We reject the reforms because they do not provide any relief to the tribesmen,” said one of the elders. They said that majority of the tribesmen wanted complete abolition of the FCR. They said that the FCR and unlimited powers of political administrations were the main causes of unrest, backwardness and lack of social justice in tribal areas.

The elders demanded of the government to respect the wishes of tribesmen and immediately extend judicial and basic rights to the Fata.

“The Frontier Crime Regulation and lack of basic rights and proper justice system are the main hurdles in the way of development of Fata and its people,” they said.

They said that the sitting assembly members from Bajaur Agency had done nothing for the welfare of people and they should not beg for their votes again. They asked the relevant authorities to launch accountability of parliamentarians from the area, claiming that they had been misusing funds allocated to development of the region.

On this occasion several tribesmen of the region joined the PML-N.  —Correspondent