Elders belonging from various agencies of Fata, have sought the repealing of controversial Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) Act, to ensure fundamental and constitutional rights to them, and supported the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "The basic human rights have completely ignored in presence of draconian laws in tribal region. The abolishment of FCR is inevitable for bringing true reforms and mainstreaming the tribal society", said the tribal elders while speaking at a press conference organised by Fata Political Alliance (FPA) at Peshawar Press Club, here on Tuesday.
The speakers include FPA president and PTI tribal leader Iqbal Khan Afridi, General Secretary and JI leader, Zaroon Afridi, Information Secretary, Ejaz Afridi, and QWP tribal activist Mustafa Khan, president of Fata Lawyers Forum Rahim Shah Afridi, tribal elder Taj Mehal, Dr Samiullah Jan, and others. Besides, a large number of tribesmen and elders from various agencies of Fata also attended the event.
Sahibdar Shahjehan, a tribal elder said tribesmen being faced with difficult situation despite rendered enormous sacrifices for their motherland. He accused the Fata had deliberately kept backwards in all fields, while a large number of people displaced from Fata due to military operations.
"We want peace, progress and development in tribal region, which could only possible with abolishment of draconian British-era FCR in Fata", said Shahjehan. He said the tribesmen are patriotic citizens of this country, and should ensure all fundamental and constitutional rights to them, he asked. He favoured the merger of Fata into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and called for unanimous passage of the relevant bill, moved by Fata parliamentarian in lower house in this regard.
Ejaz Afridi said that Fata is considered an unfortunate region around the world, wherein people had deprived all basic human rights in existing of the black laws. He said despite the sovereign and independent country, Fata people are still fighting for their independence against the force policies and laws. He said a large number of tribesmen had become homeless, and deprived from education, health and other facilities in wake of security forces action in Fata. He said the health, education and other basic infrastructure turned into rubble. He accused the government and elected representatives didn't want to bring true reforms and mainstreaming the tribal society.
Mustafa Khan said that if the FCR was significant law, why it is not implementing in federal capital, Islamabad and other parts of the country. He criticised the federal government double-standard policy in education sector, saying that it was launched enrolment and education campaign in Fata, while on the other hand, closed down many schools in the tribal region. He demanded the government to immediate open all closed educational institutions, and supported the merger of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rahim Shah Afridi said that tribal people are still a slave nation, despite the living in an independent country. He said FCR is unconstitutional and unethical law, and asked to immediate repeal from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He also said around 90 per cent tribal people favouring amalgamation of Fata into KP.
He said it was ironical that Fata people deprived from fundamental and constitutional rights in the modern-era. He stressed the need of vigorous efforts and movement for complete abolishment of the draconian Frontier Crime Regulation Act from Fata. Other speakers, including FPA president Iqbal Khan Afridi, General Secretary Zarnoor Afridi, said the tribal people want to get rid from draconian FCR forever. He said the FCR is a black law, which should be abolished immediately. They demanded the amendments in Article 247 of the Constitution, to ensure all constitutional rights to tribal people and extension of jurisdiction of superior courts to Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He also demanded Rs 500 billion package for reconstruction, development and rehabilitation in the tribal region.
They went on to say they were great expectations from newly appointed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to take the youth, lawyers, doctors, teachers, tribal political parties into confidence and give representation into the Fata reforms committee, on the future of Fata.