Conference: Political agents held responsible for FATA’s problems

Speakers call for result-oriented change.

ISLAMABAD: Human rights activists here on Thursday blamed political agents for being the root cause of most problems in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

People of the Fata have rights in the constitution of Pakistan. However, the mechanisms to reinforce these rights are lacking.

This was stated by eminent I A Rehman, an eminent journalist, intellectual and the secretary general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan at a round table conference on “Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), Human Rights Perspective”.

He said that the recently introduced FCR reforms have strengthened the political agents’ position.

“The younger generation of Fata is much different from their predecessors. The state is required to go into Fata with the book not the gun or else matters would go further complicated,” said Rehman.

Veteran human rights activist Feryal Gauhar presented an introduction to the history of FCR. She elucidated the need for further reforms in FCR laws. “Women, children and minorities were entirely disenfranchised in Fata under the present process of law like the jirgas,” said Gohar. She criticised Pakistan Army and establishment for its role in fostering terrorism throughout the country’s history.

Pakistan International Human Rights Organisation CEO Habib Orakzai said that from political agents to police station house officers, political connections and bribes are used to secure positions in the bid to make money.

Participants agreed that the recently introduced Action In Aid of Civil Power Regulation 2011 had taken away more from the people of Fata than it had given them in terms of the acknowledgement of Human Rights.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th,  2011.