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.