Tribal convention: Zardari endorses more reforms in FATA

Recommendations were put forth by Grand Assembly of tribal people.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday endorsed recommendations for further reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The proposals were put forth by the Grand Assembly of the people of Fata held in Peshawar last month.

Addressing a Fata Convention at the Presidency by Shaheed Bhutto Foundation, Zardari declared that the reforms process in Fata would continue to bring the tribalpeople into the mainstream of national life, ensure their socio-economic development, and fight militancy.

“We kept our promise to tribal areas’ people,” he said as he recounted various measures, including amendments in the Frontier Crime Regulation, setting up of Fata tribunals and initiating the process of separation of the judiciary. A large number of people from Fata, including tribal elders, religious scholars, politicians and social activists, attended the convention.

The reforms package recommended last month by the Grand Assembly, called for the establishment of a Fata council to be elected on an adult franchise basis, extension of the jurisdiction of the high court and Supreme Court to Fata and determination of the status of Fata by its people as a separate province, a part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or as an entity to continue as a federally administered area.

Welcoming the tribal people to the presidency, President Zardari recalled his earlier meeting with them in Peshawar three years ago and reiterated his commitment to continue working for their socio-economic betterment.

“We believe that reforms and efforts for peace should go hand in hand and that the people of tribal areas, more than their land, should be given strategic importance,” the president told the audience.

He said there were two viewpoints about peace and reforms in the tribal region: some people believe it is more important to bring peace to the tribal areas than to bring reforms, others view that political reforms act as a catalyst for peace. President Zardari acknowledged that the people of Fata had made huge sacrifices for the country and were a victim of the war against militancy. “Militants have targeted our men, women and even children. However, the brave people of tribal areas have defied them,” he added.

Malek Fakhr Zaman Bangash read out the declaration before the gathering. Some other recommendations made by the Grand Assembly included that the constitutional provision regarding Fata need to be amended to the extent that Fata parliamentarians could play a role or take part in the legislation for Fata.

The Grand Assembly also recommended that political administration should be accountable to elected representatives of local governments. There should be reserved seats for tribal women in the National Assembly and Senate, it demanded.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2013.