Constitutional Status demanded for FATA

(PESHAWAR, February 14, 2012): Government should give Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) a Constitutional status and bring people of tribal areas into mainstream after consulting all the stake-holder and tribal people.
This was the crux of the consultative seminar on ‘Reforms in FCR’ held here on Tuesday under the aegis of Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The seminar was attended by parliamentarians, representatives of the political parties, legal experts, tribal elders, journalists and human rights activists.
Addressing the participants of the seminar former HRCP chairperson Asma Jehangir expressed concern over keeping these areas away from mainland saying that people of FATA were cut off from other parts of the country so no heed was paid to resolve the problems of tribal people and they remained deprived right from the creation of Pakistan.
Constitutional status should be given FATA either by declaring it an independent province or by merging FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asma revealed, adding, the fundamental rights must be given to tribal people either the superior courts’ jurisdiction is extended or proper judicial forum be put in FATA.
She expressed deep concern over double standards and also on promulgation of ‘Aid of Civil Powers Regulations 2011, saying, unfortunately most of the policies of our country were made by intelligence agencies or under the army’s influence.
She termed the reforms in the Frontier Crime Regulations (FCR) insufficient and demanded large scale administrative and political reforms in tribal areas so that people of FATA be given chance to play their role in socio economic development of the area as well as for whole country.
Parliamentary Leader in National Assembly for FATA Munir Orakzai speaking on the occasion demanded an independent and elected FATA Council saying that a full-fledged council will decide the future of FATA. “It is now up to tribal people to decide what they want either separate province or merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
He expressed concern over the policies made by military and political leadership in Islamabad without involving the representatives of tribal areas.
President FATA Lawyers’ Forum, Ijaz Mohammad said that all the developments in FATA will remain useless until judiciary was not separated from executive.
He criticized FATA reforms saying that FATA Tribunal was formed for this purpose but there is no representation of tribal areas in this tribunal which is great injustice to people of FATA. He said enforcement of FATA reforms is doubtful as many children below 16 years continued to languishing in lock ups in different areas.
Director HRCP I A Rehman said that both FATA Administration and Pakistan Government enjoyed unlimited powers for a long time and now people of tribal areas be given chance to form their policies by entering into democratic process. He said that FATA Tribunal was like an executive forum not a judicial tribunal.
Representative of FATA Lawyers’ Forum Karim Mehsud said that after enactment of FCR political agents were enjoying powers about detention of people and groups without citing any reason.

IED blast claim seven lives

(PESHAWAR, February 12, 2012): At least seven persons were killed and three others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in a house at Jinah Kor area of Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar near Matani Saturday late night, police officials revealed.
According to police officials heavy explosive was placed in a TV set in Bilal‘s House which was exploded late claimed seven lives including Said Moeen, Anwar Said, Kaleem, Adnan, Bilal, Hikmat Shah and Said Ghafoor while three others injured, police sources confirmed.
Injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment. Soon after the incident police and other law enforcement agencies rushed to spot cordoned off the area and started search operation.
According to local people the incident was result of prolonged enmity between Bashi khel and Sambi khel tribes due to which armed men of Sambi khel tribe attacked on the house of their opponents late night with rockets.
Targeting rivals or enemies in the settled areas from tribal areas are increasing which resulted in creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the tribal people living in settled areas of Peshawar.      
Meanwhile unknown militants exploded planted explosives in Acheni police check post Hayatabad Phase 2 on Sunday which resulted in the destruction of police post. However no casualties were reported in the blast.
According to police officials explosive of mass destruction had been planted in a motor bike standing near the police post which was exploded with remote control by the unknown militants.

Soon after the blast police and law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot and conducted search operation but no one had been arrested yet.

CAMP organized Youth Cultural Festival

(PESHAWAR, February 12, 2012): People from all walks of life particularly children and youths belonging to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown their keen interest in ‘Youth Cultural Festival and took part in cultural programmes of their native areas.
The “FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Cultural Festival” was organized by Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP), a non government organization (NGO) in a local hotel of the provincial metropolis.
FATA students of different departments of Peshawar University belonging to Kurram, Orakzai, Bajaur, Khyber, North and South Waziristan, Mohmand agencies, Chitral and Afghanistan set different stalls highlighting the culture and traditions of their native areas while traditional items like musical instruments ‘Rabab’, old weapons, handicrafts made by females. Besides these stalls portraying the specific culture there were more interesting segments in the festival like poetry, traditional music and dance the most interesting was ‘Attan’ (collective dance)
Provincial Information Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mian Iftikhar Hussein was the chief guest who opened the festival and visited stalls took deep interest in the traditional goods placed in the stalls.
Mian Iftikhar in his speech said that people of tribal and settled areas are one nation having same culture and traditions and there is no difference. Enemies of the brave ‘Pathans’ wanted to divide them to reduce their power; they separated tribal people from settled areas administratively, he maintained.
“Culture of ‘Pakhtoons’ is more than 500 years old .they have a tremendous past and a rich culture but our enemies are trying to destroye our past and abolish our culture”, Iftikhar opined, adding that conspiracies against Pakhtoon culture continued but today youth of tribal and settled areas by organizing this joint cultural festival gave message to the enemies that they are one nation and will fight to protect their rich culture and traditions.
Culture is symbol of nations when culture is lost nations cannot survive, the Minister said, adding that ‘hujra’, ‘jarga’ are the features of Pakhtoon culture but anti Pakhtoon culture elements are trying and target it and malign it.
Music and dance is not a culture, culture is the sum of traditions, customs, way of living, education, agriculture and other activities, the Minister said. He said that national and international media presenting tribal people as well as Pathans of settled areas as terrorists and illiterate which is not true and logical because Pathans either from FATA or settled areas are brave, devoted and more educated. They are fighting and will continue fighting against any invader who wants to affect their culture and traditions, he added.
Youth of FATA are more talented and educated than others but they are being ignored and made deprived, Iftikhar maintained, adding that they are not as they are being dubbed by media.
Participants of the festival were of the view in the cultural festival that they are not ignorant. “We have a tremendous culture and traditions but are not treated as human beings and had kept deprived from our basic human rights in a planned way”, a student from FATA said while talking to FRC Correspondent..
They demanded the Government, NGO’s and other organizations to come forward and take steps for the promotion of the rich culture world-wide.
Sajid Mohmand of Mohmand Agency, Saeedullah Orakzai of Kurram Agency, Aneela a student of journalism department of Peshawar University, told FRC that they have displayed respective culture and traditions in their stalls to show the world that they are not terrorists. “We are peace lovers and want peace in tribal areas as well as in entire Pakistan. We have showed the world that FATA youth want to show real face of tribal people and their culture to the whole world”, they said.

“We want to prove that they are peace loving people having ‘hujra’ culture and ‘jarga’ system which are the best forums of resolving problems and disputes. We want to show the world that Pathans as well as their women are more skilful and educated and will never allow any one to destroy their culture”, students said.