Deprivation of rights: APC seeks LG polls in FATA

Passes resolution seeking political freedom in tribal areas.

PESHAWAR: The All-FATA Political Alliance Committee has demanded the Supreme Court take necessary action to hold local bodies elections in the tribal areas like other parts of the country and to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

An all-parties conference (APC) was held at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, wherein leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat UIema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and tribal elders participated.

The APC passed a joint resolution which sought political freedom in the tribal areas in light of the amended FCR. The resolution asked the apex court to order relevant authorities to issue a schedule for local government elections in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

The leaders said action should be taken to end the sense of deprivation among people of the tribal areas.

The resolution further claimed 3,000 militant strikes have been conducted over the years in the tribal areas which have claimed the lives of thousands of people, however, no government had extended any support to the people of Fata.

Addressing the gathering, ANP leader Latif Afridi said the government was only concerned about organising local bodies elections in the rest of the country while Fata remains excluded. “The federal government’s indifferent attitude has been one of the major reasons for the underdevelopment of the tribal areas,” he added.

Said Kabeer of the JUI-F said a hefty amount of funds are misappropriated monthly by government departments, but no one was taking any steps to hold these institutions accountable.

JI’s Zarnoor Afridi added, “Fata should be given the status of a province and the FCR should be abolished.”

According to a PTI leader from Fata, Muhammad Daud, the government should provide compensation to affected families who were killed and injured in militant attacks.

Muhammad Zahir Shah Safi of QWP demanded appointment of judges in the FATA Tribunal and said tribal elders should be taken into confidence in the negotiation process with the Taliban.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th,2013.