KHAR (Bajaur Agency), Aug 3: Jamaat-i-Islami’s Fata chapter Amir MNA Sahibzada Haroon Rasheed has termed the Frontier Crimes Regulation a black law which curbs the freedom of speech and freedom of press.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, he demanded that the government should repeal the FCR.

He said the FCR curbed civil rights and liberties of the people in the tribal area.

He called upon political parties and the media to put pressure on the government to repeal the law.

He said impartial reporting, freedom of speech and political activities were not possible in the tribal region in the presence of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

He said the political administration in tribal areas did not allow impartial reporting and was not ready to accept any criticism against it.

The political administration was using different tactics to suppress journalists in the tribal areas, he alleged.

The MNA said the government had not brought improvements in the FCR despite repeated appeals of the people of Fata.

He said the FCR had multiplied problems of tribesmen, instead of providing justice to them.

“Although, we (tribal people) have representatives in the National Assembly yet it is ironic that these representatives cannot make legislation for the tribal areas,” Mr Rasheed said.

He proposed that there should be a separate legislature for tribal agencies to formulate laws for the region.