National Assembly Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Thursday sought details regarding understanding reached with Nato for supply of goods through Torkham border and also recommended that toll tax should be levied on the containers transporting goods for the foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan.
Officials of the FATA Secretariat expressed ignorant about any understanding with Nato forces and they also told the committee, which met with Sajid Hussain Turi in the chair here at the Ministry of SAFRON, that they were not receiving any amount if were collecting from Nato containers.
The panel, however, summoned secretaries of ministries of foreign affairs, finance division, commerce and economic affairs to brief it on the understanding and details of the revenue generated from the Nato containers crossing Torkham border daily and also directed Ministry of Law, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, FATA Secretariat and FBR to furnish report within 15 days to the Committee.
While briefing the committee, Additional Secretary FATA Secretariat said that about 220 vehicles daily crossed Torkham border because of less distance, security protection and good condition of road. He, however, said that the roads were in dilapidated condition due to heavy transportation, which needs to be repaired. The panel further observed that SAFRON might take up the case with the authorities concerned for allocating of funds to repair the roads in FATA. The committee expressed concerns that promises were made for the development of FATA, but nothing has been done in practice in this regard.
The Committee was informed that FATA is tax free zone and no Custom Act was operative in the areas. It also summoned IG Frontier Corps and other relevant officers in next meeting to explain the details about collection of Rs 35,000/- per truck in Tall and Kurram Agency. The Chairman of the Committee observed that situation in Kurram Agency was different from that of other tribal areas and every truck was being charged Rs 35, 000 for crossing the border.
The Committee also observed that check-posts in Kurram Agency and other areas of FATA were not safe and recommended that more security personnel should be deployed to make them secure. The panel further recommended that every applicant should be issued permit without discrimination for supplying wheat, food and livestock etc to Afghanistan en route FATA.
The Additional Secretary FATA Secretariat, while briefing the committee on jails in tribal areas, revealed that there was no jail in FATA, but prisoners were being kept in judicial lockups. The committee expressed concern over non-availability of jails in FATA and noted that judicial lockups were in bad shaped, hence funds should be allocated for their maintenance.
The panel also recommended that necessary legislation should be made to construct Jails in the area and directed SAFRON to allocate funds for the purpose. The Committee condemned that prisoners were harassed and tortured and kept for longer period in lockups without fulfilling the codal formalities. The Committee asked the FATA Secretariat to prepare infrastructure with complete codal formalities, legislate and arrange funds in this regard as soon as possible.
The Committee recommended for Constitution of Reform Committee comprising parliamentarians from all political parties to prepare a detailed work plan to remove the concerns of the people of FATA. It observed that ignoring FATA people would damage the entire country. Additional Secretary, FATA Secretariat informed the committee that as per announcement made by the Prime Minister, six cadet colleges would be constructed in the tribal areas that would be funded by UAE government. He said that Cadet College, Wana would start functioning by April this year.
However, the proposals of opening of Cadet Colleges in Orakzai and Kurram agencies, besides establishing FATA University would be completed urgently, he added. The committee observed that site selection and topographic survey and PC-I should be completed by respective heads of the agencies and necessary funds be arranged without further delay.
The Committee advised FATA Secretariat to finalise six laws as soon as possible. These are The Higher Education Commission Ordinance, 2002, The Federal Universities Ordinance, 2002, The Trusts Act, 1882, The Provident Funds Act, 1925, The Auditor General's (Functions, Powers, Terms and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2001 and The Service Tribunals Act, 1973.
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