FATA has been part of Pakistan since its independence. Its people have always sacrificed themselves for the stability of the country.

The Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) has been in operation in Fata since 1901. This law has been called a black law because innocent people are always treated as criminals. This has been a major concern for the people.

In such a globalised world, there shouldn’t be such a law where the entire community is treated this way. The people of the area want to have access to a free judicial system and other constitutional rights but they have been ignored.

Since the people have been struggling against the FCR, a new issue has emerged. This is about whether to merge Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or give it a separate provincial status.

Politicians involved in the issue want to take advantage of the opportunity , but have not learnt from their mistakes. They are time and again ignoring the people who are now protesting against Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This may be the demand of a small number of people having their own regional and other political interests in KP. They are not the real voice of Fata whose people should be given the freedom to decide their own future. We should learn from our mistakes and experiences. If the Fata people are not given the right to decide their future, it would have a negative impact.

Amir Zaman

Tanai Village,

South Waziristan

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2015