Time for practical measures: JI chief issues two-month deadline for abolishing FCR

Says report should be given ‘practical shape’ in 60 days and a week for its enforcement

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Senator Sirajul Haq gave a two-month deadline to the federal government for abolishing the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

He was speaking at a grand Jirga of tribal chiefs at the JI’s headquarters also known as Markaz-e-Islami.

The JI chief said that the report should be given a “practical shape” in two months and seven days for its enforcement, adding that if the government took longer than that, his party would stage a long-march in Islamabad.

Siraj said that JI’s elected representatives had submitted a motion in parliament for abolishing the FCR.

“The Sartaj Aziz Commission on Fata reforms has unanimously recommended the abolition of the black law, FCR … We will not tolerate any delay in the implementation of the commission’s report,” he said.

Lauding the sacrifices rendered for the country, he also shed light on problems they faced because of FCR.

“More than 10 million tribesmen are guarding the country’s 1,400-kilometre-long border (with Afghanistan, but) are held captive by the FCR. On the one hand, they are being deprived of their basic rights while, on the other, they are being labelled as terrorists, drug peddlers and prone to violence by (national and international) media,” the senator said, adding that the people living in Fata were in a bind because of the FCR.

Senator Siraj pointed out that tribesmen were still without any university or health facilities … They (are compelled to) travel hundreds of kilometres for bringing patients to hospitals in Peshawar. They have no court and no institution for legislating laws … They do not (even) have representation in the provincial assembly and their representatives in the National Assembly have no right to legislate.”

Criticising people who called for holding a referendum on the status of Fata, he said: “A (mere) handful of people, who constantly enjoy perks (and privileges doled out by) the political administration are talking about (holding such a) referendum.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2016.