PESHAWAR, Sept 2: The Fata Lawyers Forum and some councillors of tribal agencies on Friday rejected a proposal of the Awami National Party (ANP) for reforms in the tribal areas and merger of the tribal belt with the settled areas.
The lawyer body has expressed full confidence in the nine-member FCR reforms committee formed by Governor Khalilur Rahman.
Speaking at a press conference, the office-bearers and members of the forum asked the ANP leaders to withdraw their demand for a merger of the tribal zone with the settled areas. The merger would affect their centuries-old traditions, they added.
Forum president Karim Mehsud said the people of tribal areas did not want end to their independent status and entry of police into the agencies. He said it was due to their traditions that the tribal areas were more peaceful than those of the settled.
He said the FCR reforms committee had held a meeting with the representative jirgas of Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies. The body found that the jirgas were against the merger of the tribal areas with the settled areas.
After 105 years, people had got an opportunity to help amend the Frontier Crimes Regulation-1901, and this should not go waste.
He expressed the hope that the committee would make amendments in the black laws of the FCR in accordance with the tribal traditions, jirga system, regional responsibilities and geographical situations.
However, he demanded that the governor should empower the members of agency councils. He said a Fata council, comprising all the elected members, MNAs, Senators, political agents, secretary to governor and security principal secretary to governor, should be formed. It should have the power to discuss the problems of the tribal areas and make amendments in the tribal law and regulations, he said.
FCR reform committee member Wali Khan Afridi, Zar Mohammad Khan Afridi, Hidayatullah, Ijaz Mohmand, Taj Mohammad and Wakil Khan Shinwari were present on the occasion.
REJECTION: At another press conference, councillors of different agencies have rejected the proposals of the Awami National Party.
They said politicians, who did not have any constituency in the settled areas, exploit tribal areas for their political gains.
The councillors said they would not allow any political party, group or person to intervene in the affairs of tribal people, and expressed confidence in the FCR reforms committee.