Time for reforms: JI chief demands census in tribal areas

Says delay has kept tribespeople deprived of their right in divisible pool

PESHAWAR: A census should be held at the earliest in the tribal areas so that uplift work could be carried out. This was said by Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq during a press conference on Friday at his party’s secretariat in the city.

Since census has not been held in Fata since a very long time, tribespeople have been deprived of their due right and their share in the divisible pool.

“I assure the people of Fata that JI would support their demands and would force the government to implement them,” he said.

The party chief also asked the government to increase the quota of students from the tribal areas at educational institutes.

Speaking about the issues tribespeople have been facing, Siraj said identity cards of thousands of tribespeople were blocked due to which they could not receive their salaries. “The blocking of identity cards also caused tribespeople trouble when they travel to other cities within the country – this is despite the fact that they are citizens Pakistan.”

He demanded the identity cards of tribespeople be unblocked by October 1, adding if this does not happen his party would hold a sit-in outside offices of National Database and Registration Authority.

Step forward

Siraj also demanded that affairs of the seven tribal agencies of Fata should be taken FATA Secretariat and be handed over to the provincial secretariat so that people of Fata could know that the government was serious in bringing a revolution in their lives.

He said Fata should be merged in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa before the next general elections that will take place in 2018 so that tribespeople could get due representation in the provincial and national assemblies.

He criticised the government for setting up a 10-year deadline for reforms in the tribal areas, saying he fears that plans might not remain the same when the government will change.

Moreover, the party chief also demanded local government elections be held in the tribal areas.

Siraj also threw his weight behind Fata reforms – presented by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in the National Assembly.

Against obsolete laws

Further criticising the 10-year deadline, Siraj said Frontier Crimes Regulations should be abolished soon as tribespeople cannot wait for more years to get away with the draconian law.

“FCR is a symbol of injustice and reminisce of slavery that was thrown at the people,” he said.

He added tribespeople have always stood on the frontline of defence, but the successive rulers, since the last many decares, have been ignoring them, leaving them to face terrorism and economic degradation.

Also present on the occasion were leaders of Awami National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl
and political leaders from the tribal areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2016.