PESHAWAR: Expressing concerns over increase in land disputes in the tribal districts, speakers at a seminar here on Sunday demanded of the government to carry out proper land settlement in all districts of erstwhile Fata to prevent armed clashes among the tribes.
They also opposed introduction of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) councils in the tribal districts and termed the new mechanism worst than the repealed Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) that was abolished after merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The seminar was addressed by Supreme Court Bar Association president Abdul Latif Afridi, former chairman of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Afrasiab Khattak, MNA Mohsin Dawar, MPA Nisar Khan Mohmand, rights activist Bushra Gohar and elders from the tribal districts.
A joint declaration issued in the seminar said that on one hand the government did not resolve existing land disputes while on other hand it charged a lot of money from the parties on every hearing.
Speakers at seminar oppose formation of alternative dispute resolution councils in ex-Fata
“Therefore, the alternative dispute resolution should be formed with the consent of the parties so that no party is made victim of the stronger one,” it said.
Latif Afridi while opposing the ADR in the tribal districts said that the new mechanism was synonymous to FCR. He vowed that he would challenge ADR in the court.
The provincial government had announced few days ago that ADR was extended to the tribal districts and legal cover was being provided to the jirga system in order to reduce burden on the courts.
The declaration said that government should take concrete measures for resolving petty border disputes among the tribes. The articipants of the seminar demanded withdrawal of army/Frontier Corps from the administration in the merged districts and transfer all powers to the civil administration.
The declaration said that decided cases and disputes already settled through jirga in the erstwhile Fata should not be taken against by the court to discourage unnecessary litigation.
It said that Peshawar High Court had declared the draconian regulation known as Action in Aid of Civil Power as unconstitutional, which the supreme court stayed, therefore Supreme Court should decide the cases related to the regulation on priority basis.
The speakers said that during the operations in the tribal districts, houses and commercial properties were completely destroyed and local people lost their sources of earning.
They said that people were presently under serious economic pressures therefore government should implement the report of Sartaj Aziz committee, which recommended that three per cent of fund from National Finance Commission award should be provided to tribal districts for the development of the area.
The declaration urged the government to grant exemption to the people of the merged districts from all kinds of taxes for at least next 20 years.
Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021