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Tribal MPs, FATA Reforms Committee agrees on 5-point agenda for changing FATA status

PESHAWAR, 24 August: Members of National Assembly (MNAs) and FATA Reforms Committee have agreed on a five-point agenda for bringing drastic changes in the administrative set up of FATA before merger in KP.

Talking to media in Islamabad on Tuesday, MNA from Kurram Agency Sajid Turi said that both the parties have agreed to replace Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) with FATA Good Governance Regulations (FGGR) in a meeting held on Monday. He said that appointment of 20,000 Levies personnel, establishing 49 new FATA wings in Frontier Corps (FC), extension of the jurisdiction of mainstream judicial system to FATA and 10-year development project are also part of the agenda.

Sajid Turi said that all the Temporary Displaced Persons (TDPs) would be sent back to their areas with dignity by the end of this year.

He said that works under the 10-year development project would also be launched in FATA in addition to the reconstruction of destroyed houses and rehabilitation of the TDPs.

Jobs quota reserved for tribal people would be increased from two percent to four percent while local government elections in FATA would be held in September 2017, he added.

Turi added the committee has decided to integrate FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a span of 10 years and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would make an announcement regarding the implementation of reforms package in the next few days after which the proposed reforms would be tabled in the National Assembly for discussion and approval.


http://www.radiotnn.com/tribal-mps-...s-on-5-point-agenda-for-changing-fata-status/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Turi added the committee has decided to integrate FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a span of 10 years

I hope the subsequent Govts dont sleep over it and current govt implements all the agreed points in true spirit. So now political parties would be focusing on all these areas too for vote bank.
 
Good news. Also mature move from the ruling and other opposition parties to accept an increase in KPK's size and stature (although I am sure a danda from GHQ also had something to do with it).
 
We were expecting more provinces. What if we give adjacent divisions to FATA and make it a new province. It will work as ground breaking to make further admin units.
 
We were expecting more provinces. What if we give adjacent divisions to FATA and make it a new province. It will work as ground breaking to make further admin units.

More provinces cost more money, maybe in couple of decades when Pakistan economy is on right track.
 
ISLAMABAD - Adviser to PM on Foreign Affair Sartaj Aziz, who is also heading Fata Reforms Committee, briefed the prime minister on the meetings the committee had held with stakeholders over the past eight months.

He told that it has emerged from the wide-ranging consultations that there was a wide consensus on integration of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; however, tribal elders, except in Kurram, Bajaur and FR Peshawar, wanted to retain the present special status.

The different propositions that came under discussion in committee’s meetings with the stakeholders included:

(1): Maintaining status quo but introducing judicial/administrative reforms and increase focus on development activities.

(2): Creation of a Fata Council on the pattern of Gilgit-Baltistan.

(3): Giving Fata status of province.

(4): Integrating Fata with KP and giving each Agency the status of a separate district, and integration of FRs.

It was noted that political parties, youth, businessmen and other educated classes were clearly in favour of integration of Fata into KP and also argued for an extension of the writ of the superior courts. The tribesmen at the same time wanted to retain their identity by recognition of their tribal customs and the Jirga system under the new system.

They also advocated for a more gradual and phased approach to Fata reforms so that displaced people could return to their homes and smooth transition from post conflict situation to durable peace could be ensured.

There was virtually no support for a separate Fata province due to its geographic location, weak linkages between the Agencies and limited financial resources.

Similarly, the option of Fata Council, on the lines of the GB Council, also did not enjoy much support. It was emphasised that even as a transitional measure, it would create new vested interests that could block further reform and lead to the next logical demand of a separate Fata province.

The fourth option, i.e. Fata’s integration with KP was widely supported as it offered many advantages and was seen as the only rational choice for mainstreaming Fata, since the people of Fata will be able to elect their representatives for the Provincial Assembly of KP and expand opportunities for improved governance.

It was recommended that under the integration option the security infrastructure, including the strength and quality of Levies and other Law Enforcing Agencies will have to be improved and extended throughout Fata, making it easier for the armed forces to withdraw from its security role in Fata within 4-5 years.

Highest priority, after the restoration of peace, should be assigned to rehabilitation of the tribal people, reconstruction of tribal areas on a war footing and revival of livelihood activities.

The target date for return of TDPs should be end of 2016; the reconstruction phase should be completed before the end of 2018.

This gigantic task will require much larger financial resources and coordination between all the federal agencies including Safron, Fata Secretariat, the Army formations and FWO/NLC. A comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan has been launched by Fata Secretariat which should be synchronised with the above timelines.

Foreign donors can be invited to provide part of financial resources for the reconstruction plan.

The 10-year development program should include major infrastructure and irrigation projects, mineral development program and integrated plans for health, education including establishment of university, medical and engineering colleges, vocational training and industrial zones with special incentives.

A major aim of this 10-year program will be to bring Fata at par with the rest of Pakistan on the basis of all major economic and social indicators.

Fata Development Authority (FDA) may be reorganised with enhanced powers to implement large infrastructure projects under the 10-year Development Plan.

Around 30 percent of the allocation in the 10-year Plan should be channelled through the local bodies.

An important component of the new Development Plan would be the concept of social transformation of Fata through urbanisation by setting up modern urban hubs in all Agency Headquarters and other important trading centres.

All posts in Fata should be upgraded at par with KP. Salaries for the project personnel should be 20 percent higher than the project policy of KP.

Special incentives to private sector in education and health sectors should be given in the form of free land. Quota of Fata students in education and health institutions be doubled and retained for 10 years after integration.

SBP should be asked to encourage establishment of more branches of banks in Fata with special incentives for private banks.

Once the rehabilitation phase is completed, party based local bodies elections can be held in Fata before end of 2017. This would require promulgation of Fata Local Government Regulation, which should be formulated within three months. All other formalities e.g. updating the electoral rolls, finalising the constituencies, rules and regulations should be completed by the first quarter of 2017. A separate unit for Fata may be created in the Election Commission office, Peshawar for this purpose.

http://nation.com.pk/national/25-Aug-2016/broad-consensus-on-kp-fata-integration

The consensus it seems is heading towards union with kpk but there will be some resistance as union will mean loss of power of some elder heads which can lead to friction.

However majority want union and FATA should be unioned in such a way that they will have state courts working there along with state machinery.

See what i mean.

PESHWAR: The Fata Political Alliance on Tuesday urged the government to do away with the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and include its recommendations in the proposed reforms or else they would launch a protest campaign.

Speaking at a press conference here, president of the alliance Nisar Mohmand alleged that a handful of beneficiaries of Frontier Crimes Regulation, who were getting perks and privileges under the law, have become active to fail the reforms.

“Some vested interests are active to create doubts about the proposed reforms so that they could continue to receive perks and privileges under the FCR,” healleged.

Flanked by Iqbal Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Zar Noor Afridi of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Latif Afridi and others, he said FCR was a draconian law which was introduced to suppress tribespeople.

He said the Fata Political Alliance had formed a committee to study the report of the Fata Reforms Committee and after that they would decide their future course of action.

Presenting a charter of demands, he asked for abolishing Article-247, extension of the write of Constitution of Pakistan and higher judiciary to Fata and merger of tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

FCR aids a few and they will raise voice to stop its abolition. Its the states responsibility to make sure not only they are convinced but shown that Pakistan will no longer tolerate draconian laws that treat its citizens like tenth century slaves.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/145116-Alliance-wants-own-recommendations-in-Fata-reforms

Nawabzada jalal of PTI is very active going around in garnering support for the abolishing of FCR and has continuously done jalsas demanding the union of fata and KPK...

@Leader @mr42O @Zibago

While the masters who want to continue the chains of status quo

1472104493035.jpg


Barely got twenty men together in support of FCR.


Abolishment of FCR and union with KPK are non negotiable and must happen bcz majority of fata supports this.
 
ISLAMABAD: Following an over eight-month long extensive consultative process, the FATA Reforms Committee has put forth four options for FATA transformation which include maintaining of the status quo with minor changes, granting special status to FATA like Gilgit-Baltistan, creating a separate province for FATA, or a merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

In his capacity as the chairman of the reforms committee, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday unveiled recommendations aimed at brining an end to endemic poverty and years of neglect in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Talking to newsmen at a press conference on Thursday, Sartaj said that the region had been facing Pakistan's highest rate of endemic poverty and lowest development indicators, with its people facing huge deficit of human rights. Integrating FATA into KP made more sense keeping in view the close horizontal linkages of agencies and frontier regions with the adjacent KP districts. These trade and economic links were also reinforced by social and cultural consanguinity with FATA tribes, the committee recommendations said. The committee also favoured repealing the existing Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) with the new "Tribal Areas Rewaj Act" and the Jirga system.

Responding to a question, SAFRON Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch said that during the consultations all stakeholders expressed unanimity on the "Rewaj Act", terming it part of their age-old tradition. However, he dispelled the impression that it would be in conflict with the existing laws.

He said the provisions relating to collective responsibility in the FCR would be omitted in the new act, thereby making an individual responsible for his own acts. Under this act, the judge will not be the political agent but will be a judicial officer; while the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Court shall stand extended to FATA, he added.

The Jirga system will remain prevalent in criminal and civil disputes, while it was also proposed to codify the "Rewaj" in each agency. The committee also proposed to carry out land settlement in FATA so that this land asset can be capitalised to release locked up funds.

A statement issued after the press conference said the FATA reforms would be meaningful only once the Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) return home and assisted to reconstruct their property damaged during the operations, besides other infrastructure.

The committee proposed holding of local bodies elections in 2017. To ensure availability of adequate resources for development of FATA on a long term basis, 3 percent share from the divisible pool has been proposed which would be in addition to the existing annual development allocation of Rs 21 billion a year.

Sartaj said new posts of 20,000 Levies would be created for policing, while better border management with Afghanistan shall be enforced with the addition of additional Frontier Corp and improved surveillance. He said it was also proposed to end the collection of toll taxes - "the rahdari and permit system" - in the agencies that resulted in increasing costs and corruption. He said a "governor's advisory council" including all parliamentarians would be established to advise the governor in development and administrative matters. The Directorate of Transition and Reforms, established at the FATA Secretariat, will deliver the package of reforms and a cabinet level committee will be formed to oversee implementation of the reforms, he said, adding that a reform unit would be established in SAFRON to oversee the entire process.

The six-member FATA Reforms Committee includes Sartaj Aziz as chairman and KP Governor Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Law Minister Zahid Hamid, National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua and SAFRON Secretary Muhammad Shehzad Arbab as its members.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/26-Aug-16/sartaj-unveils-fata-reforms-package
 
More provinces cost more money, maybe in couple of decades when Pakistan economy is on right track.

It will cost double to merge FATA in KP and then make a new province. It is time to do it, do the breakthrough.
 
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz Saturday said the FATA Reforms Committee had recommended that the best solution was to merge Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“The people of FATA have suffered a lot during the last 30 years and the time has come to bring them at par with rest of the country,” he said while speaking in a Pakistan Television programme.

He said the unveiled recommendations were aimed at mainstreaming FATA to end poverty and years of neglect. He, however, added that the merger of FATA with KKP could not take place immediately as for it socio-economic escalation of the area and return of its Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was a must.

The KP government had no resources to tackle the issue alone and the federal government would have to take responsibilities of security and administrative affairs of FATA, he added.

He said five-year period had been recommended for the transition phase while development target would be completed in 10 years.

To a question about return of IDPs, he said all the IDPs in FATA would be returned to their hometowns by the end of this year.


He said the FATA Reforms Committee had recommended to the government for allocation of 3 per cent funds in the National Finance Commission award for FATA. At present the federal government allocation for FATA was Rs 20 billion and after its 3 per cent share in the NFC award, they would get additional Rs 90 billion, he added.

Sartaj Aziz said the amount would help construction of infrastructure and big urban centres in FATA, besides setting up educational and health facilities there.

Integrating FATA into KP, he said, made more sense keeping in view the close horizontal linkages of agencies and FRs with the adjacent KP districts. Those trade and economic links were also reinforced by social and cultural consanguinity with FATA tribes, the committee recommendations said.

Sartaj said even the provincial assembly of KP had passed a resolution to merge FATA with the province.

He said the committee had also recommended for holding of local bodies polls in FATA by next year so that the local government system start functioning there.

He said 20,000 Levies personnel would be recruited for FATA which would work as agencies’ police.

He said the FATA Reforms Committee also favoured replacing the existing draconian law of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) with the new “Tribal Areas Rewaj Act” and the Jirga system while the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Court would also be extended to FATA.

To a question about Indian adamant attitude towards Kashmir, he said talks between Pakistan and India without discussing the issue was useless.

He said Pakistan would sensitize the world community about gross human rights violations by Indian forces in held Kashmir and provide moral, political and diplomatic support to the people there.

He said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would raise the Kashmir issue in the United Nations General Assembly meeting next month.

About allegations of the Afghan government against Pakistan regarding the recent attack on a university in Kabul, the Advisor said instead of blame game, evidence of such incidents should be shared with Pakistan. –APP

http://aaj.tv/2016/08/fatas-merger-with-kp-best-solution-sartaj/
 
Reforms are essential for survival
Fata.png


Didar Ali Khan


Every bad news is good news. A theory has attained much popularity in recent years. Shocking news like: unrest, suicide attacks, honor killing, child abduction or human trafficking, give charm to make such news head news of the day.

The news about the FATA reforms or the government keen interest to take away the FCR from tribal areas was good news for me in this year. It is the need of hour to bring about reforms in FATA.

The inventors of the law had left this land over 69 years ago, the successive rulers, both military and civilian, considered it an important legal instrument for ruling tribal areas including FATA and Gilgit Baltistan. FATA remained unlucky; the black law of the British era, FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulation) is still applicable since its inception.

The FCR has its origins in the Murderous Outrages Regulation (FOR) which was enacted by British Empire to prosecute crimes. It was specifically devised to encounter the anti state element and formally implemented in 1877. The regulation took their present form primarily through the Frontier Crimes Regulation act of 1901.

Other than FATA, the black law was also applicable in Gilgit Baltistan. In 1947, the Republic of Gilgit-Baltistan emerged on the map of the world and survived only for a couple of weeks. The people of the region fought their own war against the tyrannical regime of Dogra Raj and won their freedom. The freedom fighters opted to merge their peace of land with the newly state Pakistan. However, in reward, the GB went under FCR for 35 years. In 1972, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan took away the law. 1972 is being considered as a benchmark in the history of GB in development and progress prospective. With the collapse of FCR the fate of the people of GB dramatically changed.

Human rights activist and the superior judiciary have argued that regulation violates basic human rights. Under FCR citizens are deprived of appeal, wakeel and daleel, respectively, the right to appeal detention, the right to legal representation, and the right to represent reasoned evidence.
One of the worst of the FCR is the collective punishment, which is imposed on anyone in the areas for a crime committed by him or his relative, spouse, or even any other person from the same tribe and area. Among the most damaging provisions in the FCR is the clause permitting the “seizure/confiscation of property and arrest and detention of an individual without due process.

In 2011, president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari enacted a presidential order to amend the FCR. This step was widely viewed as the most substantive changes in the approximately more than 100 year’s history of the regulation.

The current government has shown their keen interest to bring about reforms. The proposal forwarded to discuss in parliament will benefit either way the people of FATA. The best would be if FATA will be merged with KPK.

According to the charter of UN, state has to provide rights to its Nation. The state is responsible to bring up the backward areas into the current pace of development and progress. Unfortunately, in Pakistan ruling and privilege class has occupied all resources of the country and indigenous people of small provinces and federally administered areas are badly discriminated and deprived. Small provinces and the federally administered areas, such as Gilgit Baltistan, KPK and Baluchistan have much reservation with the center. Discrimination has led the sense of deprivation and people have lost their trust on government and its functionaries. This is the deprivation which compels people to take law in their own hands.

Political discrimination has proofed that, the democracy is failed. All institutions have been destroyed and the judicial system seemed to more political then judiciary. The organizations providing security to general public are turned to be biased. The lost son of senior judge recovered with in few days, whereas no records, or any follow up has been take to recover more than 300 abducted children belongs to poor people.

The allocation of NFC award based on the formula of population has given no thing to the backward areas like Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan. The current allocation in statistical term called as probability proportional to the size. This formula has the major drawback, as it is always skewed towards the big numeric. A part from many flaws, this formula is also a reason to increase population. For the allocation of resources (NFC award) other technique such quota based allocation can also be adopted keeping in view the need of the areas. The need of hour is not to invest again and again in already developed areas, it is the time to build a nation, and it is the time to cure the deprivation.

The fate of GB, particularly of youths, is highly linked with the decision of FATA. Currently GBA and FATA are jointly being provided share in federal. The allocation of jobs, admission quotas are being awarded jointly for FATA and GB.

Time has come; the leaders of GB should raise voice for their rights. The status of GB is as important, so as FATA. GB has been neglected in all forms; we are even in worse situation than FATA. What the mega project of CPEC is to give us other than smokes of more than 4,000 vehicles on daily base. This is the right time to demand for the basic rights to accommodate the deprivation of more than 50 years.

IF the rights of the people will be preserved by state people love the state. This would be worse kind of atrocity, where people are being deprived and they have no right to raise voice against.

http://pamirtimes.net/2016/08/27/reforms-are-essential-for-survival/

The contributor is an MS Research Scholar at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Email: didarkhan99@gmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


@Arsalan ,@saiyan0321 ,@That Guy , we should also look to develop FATA and create jobs. Better life standards can solve many problems in that region. Best thing to do is to obviously make it a part of KPK!
 
Reforms are essential for survival
Fata.png


Didar Ali Khan


Every bad news is good news. A theory has attained much popularity in recent years. Shocking news like: unrest, suicide attacks, honor killing, child abduction or human trafficking, give charm to make such news head news of the day.

The news about the FATA reforms or the government keen interest to take away the FCR from tribal areas was good news for me in this year. It is the need of hour to bring about reforms in FATA.

The inventors of the law had left this land over 69 years ago, the successive rulers, both military and civilian, considered it an important legal instrument for ruling tribal areas including FATA and Gilgit Baltistan. FATA remained unlucky; the black law of the British era, FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulation) is still applicable since its inception.

The FCR has its origins in the Murderous Outrages Regulation (FOR) which was enacted by British Empire to prosecute crimes. It was specifically devised to encounter the anti state element and formally implemented in 1877. The regulation took their present form primarily through the Frontier Crimes Regulation act of 1901.

Other than FATA, the black law was also applicable in Gilgit Baltistan. In 1947, the Republic of Gilgit-Baltistan emerged on the map of the world and survived only for a couple of weeks. The people of the region fought their own war against the tyrannical regime of Dogra Raj and won their freedom. The freedom fighters opted to merge their peace of land with the newly state Pakistan. However, in reward, the GB went under FCR for 35 years. In 1972, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan took away the law. 1972 is being considered as a benchmark in the history of GB in development and progress prospective. With the collapse of FCR the fate of the people of GB dramatically changed.

Human rights activist and the superior judiciary have argued that regulation violates basic human rights. Under FCR citizens are deprived of appeal, wakeel and daleel, respectively, the right to appeal detention, the right to legal representation, and the right to represent reasoned evidence.
One of the worst of the FCR is the collective punishment, which is imposed on anyone in the areas for a crime committed by him or his relative, spouse, or even any other person from the same tribe and area. Among the most damaging provisions in the FCR is the clause permitting the “seizure/confiscation of property and arrest and detention of an individual without due process.

In 2011, president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari enacted a presidential order to amend the FCR. This step was widely viewed as the most substantive changes in the approximately more than 100 year’s history of the regulation.

The current government has shown their keen interest to bring about reforms. The proposal forwarded to discuss in parliament will benefit either way the people of FATA. The best would be if FATA will be merged with KPK.

According to the charter of UN, state has to provide rights to its Nation. The state is responsible to bring up the backward areas into the current pace of development and progress. Unfortunately, in Pakistan ruling and privilege class has occupied all resources of the country and indigenous people of small provinces and federally administered areas are badly discriminated and deprived. Small provinces and the federally administered areas, such as Gilgit Baltistan, KPK and Baluchistan have much reservation with the center. Discrimination has led the sense of deprivation and people have lost their trust on government and its functionaries. This is the deprivation which compels people to take law in their own hands.

Political discrimination has proofed that, the democracy is failed. All institutions have been destroyed and the judicial system seemed to more political then judiciary. The organizations providing security to general public are turned to be biased. The lost son of senior judge recovered with in few days, whereas no records, or any follow up has been take to recover more than 300 abducted children belongs to poor people.

The allocation of NFC award based on the formula of population has given no thing to the backward areas like Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan. The current allocation in statistical term called as probability proportional to the size. This formula has the major drawback, as it is always skewed towards the big numeric. A part from many flaws, this formula is also a reason to increase population. For the allocation of resources (NFC award) other technique such quota based allocation can also be adopted keeping in view the need of the areas. The need of hour is not to invest again and again in already developed areas, it is the time to build a nation, and it is the time to cure the deprivation.

The fate of GB, particularly of youths, is highly linked with the decision of FATA. Currently GBA and FATA are jointly being provided share in federal. The allocation of jobs, admission quotas are being awarded jointly for FATA and GB.

Time has come; the leaders of GB should raise voice for their rights. The status of GB is as important, so as FATA. GB has been neglected in all forms; we are even in worse situation than FATA. What the mega project of CPEC is to give us other than smokes of more than 4,000 vehicles on daily base. This is the right time to demand for the basic rights to accommodate the deprivation of more than 50 years.

IF the rights of the people will be preserved by state people love the state. This would be worse kind of atrocity, where people are being deprived and they have no right to raise voice against.

http://pamirtimes.net/2016/08/27/reforms-are-essential-for-survival/

The contributor is an MS Research Scholar at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Email: didarkhan99@gmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


@Arsalan ,@saiyan0321 ,@That Guy , we should also look to develop FATA and create jobs. Better life standards can solve many problems in that region. Best thing to do is to obviously make it a part of KPK!
The same reason i always preferred the central route of CPEC over the eastern one. However when i talked about it people started saying that i was being biased as a supporter of PTI and stuff!!
The truth remains that FATA along with that entire belt and Baluchistan should be made part of a massive infrastructure (read road and rail) project that connect these with rest of the country. There are so many things we can work on in those areas but a main problem is lack of access. Once that is sorted (i hope it is in shape of that central route of CPEC) things will surely improve.
For FATA as you mentioned making it part of KPK will bring it into that main stream of politics and thus the development activity. We need to pay more attention to the areas with untapped potential, in fact, should have started yesterday.
 
Reforms are essential for survival
Fata.png


Didar Ali Khan


Every bad news is good news. A theory has attained much popularity in recent years. Shocking news like: unrest, suicide attacks, honor killing, child abduction or human trafficking, give charm to make such news head news of the day.

The news about the FATA reforms or the government keen interest to take away the FCR from tribal areas was good news for me in this year. It is the need of hour to bring about reforms in FATA.

The inventors of the law had left this land over 69 years ago, the successive rulers, both military and civilian, considered it an important legal instrument for ruling tribal areas including FATA and Gilgit Baltistan. FATA remained unlucky; the black law of the British era, FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulation) is still applicable since its inception.

The FCR has its origins in the Murderous Outrages Regulation (FOR) which was enacted by British Empire to prosecute crimes. It was specifically devised to encounter the anti state element and formally implemented in 1877. The regulation took their present form primarily through the Frontier Crimes Regulation act of 1901.

Other than FATA, the black law was also applicable in Gilgit Baltistan. In 1947, the Republic of Gilgit-Baltistan emerged on the map of the world and survived only for a couple of weeks. The people of the region fought their own war against the tyrannical regime of Dogra Raj and won their freedom. The freedom fighters opted to merge their peace of land with the newly state Pakistan. However, in reward, the GB went under FCR for 35 years. In 1972, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan took away the law. 1972 is being considered as a benchmark in the history of GB in development and progress prospective. With the collapse of FCR the fate of the people of GB dramatically changed.

Human rights activist and the superior judiciary have argued that regulation violates basic human rights. Under FCR citizens are deprived of appeal, wakeel and daleel, respectively, the right to appeal detention, the right to legal representation, and the right to represent reasoned evidence.
One of the worst of the FCR is the collective punishment, which is imposed on anyone in the areas for a crime committed by him or his relative, spouse, or even any other person from the same tribe and area. Among the most damaging provisions in the FCR is the clause permitting the “seizure/confiscation of property and arrest and detention of an individual without due process.

In 2011, president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari enacted a presidential order to amend the FCR. This step was widely viewed as the most substantive changes in the approximately more than 100 year’s history of the regulation.

The current government has shown their keen interest to bring about reforms. The proposal forwarded to discuss in parliament will benefit either way the people of FATA. The best would be if FATA will be merged with KPK.

According to the charter of UN, state has to provide rights to its Nation. The state is responsible to bring up the backward areas into the current pace of development and progress. Unfortunately, in Pakistan ruling and privilege class has occupied all resources of the country and indigenous people of small provinces and federally administered areas are badly discriminated and deprived. Small provinces and the federally administered areas, such as Gilgit Baltistan, KPK and Baluchistan have much reservation with the center. Discrimination has led the sense of deprivation and people have lost their trust on government and its functionaries. This is the deprivation which compels people to take law in their own hands.

Political discrimination has proofed that, the democracy is failed. All institutions have been destroyed and the judicial system seemed to more political then judiciary. The organizations providing security to general public are turned to be biased. The lost son of senior judge recovered with in few days, whereas no records, or any follow up has been take to recover more than 300 abducted children belongs to poor people.

The allocation of NFC award based on the formula of population has given no thing to the backward areas like Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan. The current allocation in statistical term called as probability proportional to the size. This formula has the major drawback, as it is always skewed towards the big numeric. A part from many flaws, this formula is also a reason to increase population. For the allocation of resources (NFC award) other technique such quota based allocation can also be adopted keeping in view the need of the areas. The need of hour is not to invest again and again in already developed areas, it is the time to build a nation, and it is the time to cure the deprivation.

The fate of GB, particularly of youths, is highly linked with the decision of FATA. Currently GBA and FATA are jointly being provided share in federal. The allocation of jobs, admission quotas are being awarded jointly for FATA and GB.

Time has come; the leaders of GB should raise voice for their rights. The status of GB is as important, so as FATA. GB has been neglected in all forms; we are even in worse situation than FATA. What the mega project of CPEC is to give us other than smokes of more than 4,000 vehicles on daily base. This is the right time to demand for the basic rights to accommodate the deprivation of more than 50 years.

IF the rights of the people will be preserved by state people love the state. This would be worse kind of atrocity, where people are being deprived and they have no right to raise voice against.

http://pamirtimes.net/2016/08/27/reforms-are-essential-for-survival/

The contributor is an MS Research Scholar at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Email: didarkhan99@gmail.com
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@Arsalan ,@saiyan0321 ,@That Guy , we should also look to develop FATA and create jobs. Better life standards can solve many problems in that region. Best thing to do is to obviously make it a part of KPK!

This is the best time to tackle the tribal issue and end it once and for all. The lack of state writ did not just effect the people of FATA but also the people of pakistan bcz it became a hub for terror activities against pakistan with many based, weapons factories and hide outs and training centers being operated and developed without the knowledge of the state. However never the less the FCR has been detrimental for the people of FATA bcz it powered the tribal chiefs. The poor people of FATA suffered bcz of it.

Now is the best time to bring FATA under state control with merging it with KPK to not only provide it a voice in provincial and federal politics but to also receive judicial and police benefits which were lost on FATA.

It will be hard bcz it would require sincere development and sincere progress as well building of roads, schools, high tech hospitals as well better law and order situation however I am sure we would be able to tackle bcz the army is backing this movement and the federal is also keen on ending this issue.
 
Tribalism is a cancer to Pakistan, it has caused needless deaths.

The first and biggest step that the government can and should make, FATA should be combined with KPK. As it is, turning FATA into a separate province would be logistical headache, but combining it with KPK would help FATA immediately gain from becoming fully apart of the federation. Tribal laws would not only disappear over night, but they'd have access to a proper provincial government, police force, and court houses. Power would be transferred from idiotic tribal heads, to competent state representatives.
 
GHALLANAI: Rejecting the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a jirga on Monday asked the government to bring reforms in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

The jirga also called for strengthening of jirga system in Fata. Around 100 representatives of various tribes of Mohmand Agency attended the jirga at the Mohmand Press Club here.

Malik Nusrat Khan Tarakzai, Malik Amir Nawaz Haleemzai, Malik Sakhi Ghulam Khwezai, Malik Mehmood Jan Burhankhel, Malik Nadir Manan Kodakhel, Malik Jan Muhammad Safi, Malik Ziarat Gul Atmarkhel and others attended the Jirga.

They said that some people from Fata were trying to impose such a law on the tribal areas that could affect the local tribal customs and jirga system. They said that they were not against the development of tribal areas but were against the complete abolition of the FCR.

The representatives said that the clauses of FCR that were against human rights and an impediment to progress should be amended or abolished. They said that the demand for merger of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was unrealistic as the province lacked the resources.

The elders said that some self-proclaimed representatives and politicians misguided the tribal people on the issue of reforms and future status of Fata.They asked the government to decide the future of Fata as per the aspirations of the tribal people.



https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/146297-Jirga-rejects-Fata-merger-with-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

As I mentioned before that some elements will fight to keep FCR bcz they gain power from it as well as control. However the govt should not bow down as the people want FCR removed and such a black law should not exist.

They are also against the merger and basically only want reforma in FCR which means they are aware how a merger will empower democratic rights to the people which will lead to them losing power and control. The govt should tell them and convince them as well as make it clear that state writ will be absolute in fata will be merged with kpk no matter what.

While at the same time

GHALANAI: The Fata Siyasi Ittehad president Nisar Momand has said that tribal areas should be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as tribesmen want representation in provisional assembly.

He said that they wanted extension of 1973 Constitution to tribal areas. “If bureaucracy and others institutions are sincere in Fata reforms, they should abolish the Fata Secretariat,” he told Dawn.

Mr Momand welcomed the draft Fata reforms, prepared by the federal government, but also showed some reservations over it. He said that access of tribal people justice and protection of local culture were proposed in the draft.

“It is also a good omen that holding of local bodies’ election in Fata is also included in the draft,” said Mr Momand. He said that it was acknowledged in the draft that tribal peoples neither wanted Fata council nor separate province but most of them wanted merger of Fata with KP.

The FSI president said that they wanted abolishment of Fata Secretariat because all line departments were under the control of provincial government. He said that civil bureaucracy didn’t see any personal profit in merger of Fata with KP. That’s why it was supporting the colonial system of FCR, he added.

Mr Momand said that Fata should not be considered a research centre to test every new system there. He alleged that rulers of Punjab and Fata Secretariat were major hurdle to Fata reforms.

Talking to Dawn, prominent tribal elder Haji Sobedar Safi termed FCR the root cause of all evils in the tribal region. He said that tribal areas should be merged with KP and local bodies’ elections should be held in the area.

The elder said that they wanted development of the area. “Some privileged elders are against the reforms but most of tribesmen are in favour of Fata reforms” he said.

PTI leader Sajid Khan said that tribal people should be taken into confidence about the reforms. “If government is sincere in Fata reforms, it should merge tribal areas with KP to resolve the long standing issue of tribesmen,” said the PTI leader.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1280857/mohmand-elders-seek-merger-of-fata-with-kp

 
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