Tribal elders reject police system in ex-Fata

Jirga demands continuation of Khasadar force

MIRANMSHAH: The elders and notable of the Utmanzai tribe of North Waziristan and Bannu have demanded of the government to give khasadar force their due legal status and rejected the proposal for introducing police and patwari system in ex-Fata districts.

In this regard a Jirga was held in Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan district on Thursday. The representative gathering of tribal elders and notable people of the area refused to accept the provincial police as their security force and the patwari system as land record keeper.

Police and patwari were present in all of Pakistan, but were absent in erstwhile tribal areas, now that these areas, have been merged into K-P province, the tribal people rejected the introduction of police and patwari systems in the seven districts of ex-Fata.

“Our elders had made a verbal contract with the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhamamd Ali Jinnah, who had ensured full protection to tribal system and retention of tribal security forces. But now we have been deceived by new rulers, they have merged seven districts of Fata with K-P without accommodating their due opinion,” said Malik Nasrullah Khan a tribal elder of North Waziristan.

He said that the merger with K-P should bring in development in infrastructure, health and education. “We need educational institutions, hospitals, roads and other facilities at par with those which are available to people in federal capital,” Nasrullah said representing the tribal people present at the Jirga.

However, he said, they would not accept the security and revenue regime of the province. “Introduction of policing system by replacing the Khasadar forces will be opposed at every level of their approach,” the Wazir tribes elder said.

On the occasion Chairman All Fata Levies Chairman Syed Jalal said: “We don’t need the patwari and police forces in the seven districts of ex-Fata agencies, we will cooperate with security forces on every level, but handing over our tribal security to police force, will further deteriorate peace in the newly established districts.”

IDPs protest

Meanwhile the IDPs of the North Waziristan at Baka Khel camp have staged protest against the FDMA in the Jail Park in Bannu district on Thursday.

The chairman of the IDPs representative body, Malik Ghulam, told The Express Tribune that IDPs of the Baka Khel have not received any financial support for food from Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA).

Denied of assistance in their own country, the IDPs have also been barred to cross the border and “go to our relative in Afghanistan.”

Ghulam Khan said the authorities have belittled their sacriofices for peace and stability in the region. “we were displaced for peace and stability of our area, our relative were killed in the war against terrorism, we stood shoulder to shoulder with security forces, now the FDMA was victimizing us, why, for being loyal to our country?” he said.

We demand governor and prime minister to interfere into the affairs, he said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2018.