Recommendations on Fata reforms

Recommendations on Fata reforms

Holding of LB polls, comprehensive uplift package demanded forthwith 

ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD, December 17, 2013: A ten parties’ representative committee on FATA reforms on Tuesday came up with 11-point urgent recommendations with emphasis on holding of local bodies’ elections in tribal areas and a comprehensive uplift package.

However, the representative committee — Political Parties Joint Committee on FATA Reforms, of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamait Ulema-e-Isalam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), National Party (NP), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), is yet to take their leadership into confidence on the recommendations.

“We will present these recommendations before the leadership to take them into confidence”, said Rehmat Salam Khattak, a PML-N representative in the committee who presented the recommendations during a media briefing along with other representatives of the various political parties. He hoped that if implemented in letter and spirits, these recommendations will guarantee peace in the restive tribal areas in particular and in the whole county in general.

The 11-point recommendations do not include FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulation) as 2011 amendments not being implemented. While a reform has been inducted demanding an amendment in Article 247 of the Constitution to empower parliamentarians from FATA to introduce legislation in the Parliament for tribal areas. The amendment in Article 247 of the Constitution is emphasized to provide equal rights and shift legislative powers for FATA from the President of Pakistan to the Parliament.

The reforms were unanimously agreed upon following several all-parties conferences held between June and November and the political parties on the FATA Committee reached the recommendations by consensus.

Political parties continue standing together to highlight the urgent importance of mainstreaming and legal reforms for tribal people while also emphasizing the right of FATA citizens to enjoy the same constitutional guarantees and rights as all Pakistanis.

Among other recommendations, political parties agree that local bodies’ elections should be held in FATA like in the rest of the country.

In its recommendations, the panel also demanded that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) jurisdiction should be extended to FATA, besides strengthening the Jirga system by making it more democratic and independent. It also demanded abolishment of the Actions in Aid of Civil Power Regulation, and separation of executive and judicial powers in FATA.

Presenting their recommendations to government, the FATA committee has earlier met Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt. General (Retd.) Abdul Qadir Baloch in November and had given an indication to share the proposals with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other parliamentarians from FATA.

To promote the new reforms, the FATA committee will start a nationwide tour to visit the leadership of member political parties and hold media briefings in provincial capital cities.

The committee had already met JI Syed Munawar Hassan at Mansoora in Lahore and presented the reforms demands who had assured his support. The committee also plans to visit Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar in the coming weeks. The FATA Committee also plans to meet the President and the Prime Minister and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to discuss their 11-point reforms agenda.

Regarding the reforms priorities agreed on by the political parties, FATA Committee members have expressed their intention to continue outreach efforts and ensure that all stakeholders are brought on board to ensure enactment and implementation of the reforms.

In its recommendations, the panel acknowledges that the people of FATA deserve the same rights, freedom, protection and economic opportunities as all Pakistanis.

“We believe that political, economic, social and administrative reforms in the tribal areas are necessary to obtain sustainable peace and development in FATA”, observed the committee in the proposals.

It further stated that the future status of FATA should be decided by its people. Executive and judicial powers should be separated. Citizens should not be deprived of property; inheritance law should be extended and civil armed forces (khasadar/levies) should be strengthened and professionalized, it added.