The Fata committee was established in 2012 to identify and advocate areas of consensus on reforms, including amendments to the FCR and extension of the Political Parties Act to Fata.
PESHAWAR:
The government is yet to respond to proposals made by political parties on the much-awaited reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
A draft of the Fata Local Government Regulation 2012 was published in July last year. Political parties submitted their recommendations on the draft in December after a meeting of the Political Parties Joint Committee on Fata reforms (Fata Committee). Eight of the 10 committee members endorsed these recommendations.
The Fata committee was established in 2012 to identify and advocate areas of consensus on reforms, including amendments to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and extension of the Political Parties Act to Fata.
The Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), National Party (NP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) each have a representative in the committee.
Even though the period for the government’s response on the suggestions has elapsed, the members still hope their recommendations will be addressed prior to the enactment of the regulation by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Their suggestions were related specifically to the powers of the political administration, structure and geographic limitations of the local government system, elections framework and budget considerations.
The suggestions asked for clarity on the powers delegated to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governor and reserving 10% of the agency council’s seats for non-Muslims.
The political administration and governor’s power to dissolve a local council or remove a council member from office should be removed from the regulation. Special cases should be brought before the election commission or a special tribunal appointed by the judiciary. The relationship between the political agents and the local council should be plainly defined, clearly indicating who reports to whom and the chain of administrative and budgetary command, the recommendations said.
JI leader Sahibzada Haroon Rashid said he has no information since December about the next meeting or any other development. Since the governor has recently been replaced and political parties are busy with the election process, it is unclear when the next meeting will be held.
MQM MNA Syed Asif Hasnain alleged that the government was not serious earlier and has no intention of adopting a clear strategy to improve the future of Fata residents. He said that around three months have passed but no concrete steps have been taken to implement the reforms.
“The recommendations about reforms have been sent to the president, K-P governor and Fata Secretariat. We were told that our issues will be redressed by the first week of February, however, no positive outcome has surfaced yet,” Hasnain stated.
NP Provincial President Mukhtar Bacha said reforms in Fata need time. “Because of worsening law and order in the region, the bureaucracy and army does not want to initiate change,” he added.
QWP Fata President Asad Afridi says the progress on reforms has slowed down due to the election process. The consideration and implementation of reforms will be up to the new government now. “These recommendations are of political parties and it would be good if the government took the matter seriously.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2013.
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The tribal are non political people. There are some political presence of political parties but it is too small even it should be call Negligible. The tribal don't want to scrap FCR but only want appeal against Political Agent Orders in High court and SC. And this is the whole story