Making history: FATA lawmakers put up a united front against FCR

Two-member committee formed to present draft bill in National Assembly.


Mureeb Mohmand June 03, 2014
Giving details of the meeting, Shahabuddin told The Express Tribune that the two-member committee will consult lawyers and constitutional experts about the draft bill and then present it in the national assembly after the budget session. PHOTO: FILE

SHABQADAR: For the first time ever, lawmakers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have decided to push forward a bill against the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the next session of the National Assembly.

At a meeting of Fata parliamentarians held in Islamabad, a two-member committee was set up after mutual consultation, comprising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA from Bajaur Agency Shahabuddin Khan and Fata Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shah Jee Gul.

Giving details of the meeting, Shahabuddin told The Express Tribune that the two-member committee will consult lawyers and constitutional experts about the draft bill and then present it in the national assembly after the budget session.

In the proposed bill, the MNA will demand an end to Article 147 of the Constitution, which bans Fata parliamentarians from taking part in constitutional matters about Fata without prior permission of the President. Furthermore, the abolition of FCR and status change of Fata shall also be demanded. Shahabuddin said Fata has 20 representatives: 12 MNAs and eight senators, adding that PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and independent candidates have decided to change the political status of Fata. Shahabuddin said it remains to be decided whether Fata shall be merged with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or form a separate province.

“Railway is being debated in the budget; but Fata has no railway tracks,” said Shahabuddin, “Education is debated; but Fata has more than 8 million people without a university to attend. Nothing has been announced for us in the present budget, while we continue to be the most affected by terrorism.”

“Every government has received billions in Fata’s name, but we have still been ignored by all,” said Shahabuddin. “This is why we Fata parliamentarians decided to stand united for our rights without party affiliations.”

The MNA said they will meet with the leadership of Awami National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, PML-N and others to convince them to bring a change in Fata’s status. FATA Lawyer’s Forum (FLF) President Ijaz Mohmand welcomed the development and termed it a ‘historic move’. Mohmand said Fata has been deprived of its rights for 67 years and many former lawmakers from the region are responsible for it.

The lawyer said FLF fully supports an amendment in Article 247 and the abolition of the FCR. However, he added, his forum would never support the FATA council or a ‘Gilgit-Baltistan-like’ Fata province.

“Being a part of Pakistan, the Constitution, along with the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and high court must be extended to Fata,” said Mohmand.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2014.

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