PPP calls for FCR overhauling

Pakistan People's Party on Wednesday called for massive social and political reforms in the tribal areas and changes in the archaic Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) if the war on terror is to succeed.
Tribal areas are a frontline on war on terror and must be made the front line in the war against underdevelopment, injustice and inhuman treatment of its people, said Farhatullah Babar at a national consultation on FATA at a local hotel.
He said that powers vested with Political Agents under FCR to demolish the houses of suspects and offenders had made Pakistan one of the two countries in the world along with Israel where such a law exists on the statute.
If Israel is to be condemned, Pakistan, too, must be censured, he said, and added that "reformation and development of tribal areas must begin with the reformation of the FCR".
Her said that Jirga in the tribal areas is a recognised mechanism for alternative dispute resolution but haws been hijacked by the political authorities to serve their ends. The Political Agents select the jirga members and they also have powers to reject its findings and there is no provision of judicial forum, whether at the trial, appeal or revision stages, he said.
The absence in the FCR of an independent judicial mechanism to dispense free and fair justice is contrary to the Constitution and basic human rights, as generally understood. He said that under the draconian FCR, 40 journalists had been sent to jail for 16 years, and minors and infants were sentenced and sent to jail for several years.
He said that the government denies imprisoning minors under FCR but Senators visiting jails in Frontier in August 2005 found that three-year-olds had actually been sentenced under FCR and imprisoned in Haripur Jail.
He said that on November 29, 2004, the Senate passed a unanimous resolution that called for reviewing the FCR expeditiously but no action had been taken even after the passage of almost three years.
He said that two years ago the human rights committee of the Senate had also prepared a comprehensive report proposing amendments in the FCR, which was adopted by the Senate. But no action has yet been taken.
The Senate recommendations on changes in FCR were made after consulting various stakeholders, including various human rights and FATA reforms bodies, besides tribal representatives actually living in the tribal areas, he said. He said that the NWFP government has also proposed amendments in FCR and sent to Islamabad but no action has been taken because of vested interests of some sections that want to keep the tribal areas backward for their own motives.