Empower, not control: Lawmakers from FATA cry foul over proposed reforms

Say govt should hand over key decision-making powers to tribespeople

PESHAWAR: A group of lawmakers and senators from tribal areas have rejected the draft presented by the FATA Reforms Commission (FRC) about the proposed management of agency and Fata councils.

Under the proposed reforms, the political agent will be made the chairman of the agency council while the governor will be made the head of the Fata Council.

The objections were raised during a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday by MNA Ghazi Gulab Jamal, along with three other lawmakers from Fata.

During the conference, Jamal urged the government to immediately repatriate displaced person from Fata to their homes. “The infrastructure destroyed during military offensives should be rebuilt and peace should be restored in the region,” he added.

Jamal voiced his reservations over the reforms proposed by the commission and insisted the government hand over key decision-making powers to Fata.

“The right to pass legislation regarding the tribal belt and matters concerning planning, development and social sector reforms should be handed over to Fata,” he said.

According to Jamal, these sectors have been managed by the bureaucracy for over 60 years and the government should gradually allow elected representatives to seize the reins.

“The government should make elected representatives from Fata manage these sectors for at least a year and assess their performance,” he said.

However, the lawmaker said, the government should continue to maintain law and order situation in the tribal areas.

Fighting for rights

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Hidayatullah Khan said lawmakers and senators from Fata had not been consulted about these proposed reforms; instead they were briefed by the FRC. “We have severe objections over the reforms because the committee did not represent Fata’s interest,” he added.

The lawmaker demanded an elected council should be established to monitor development projects in Fata.

“Elected parliamentarians from the tribal belt should be appointed as members of the council,” he said. “The council must be established within a specific timeframe.”

According to Hidayatullah, they will need the support of all parliamentarians to guarantee the rights of Fata’s people.

“We need to fight for our rights,” he said. “We need education for our children and prove to the world that we are not terrorists.”

Affront to the people

MNA Haji Shaji Gul Afridi, Senator Taj Mohammad Afridi and FATA Lawyers Forum president Ijaz Mohmand billed the proposed reforms as an affront to the people of Fata.

They maintained the political agent should not play a role in appointing members for agency council and elected representatives should be made members of the council. Furthermore, lawmakers also urged the government to conduct a census in Fata. However, they insisted the government should send only those officials to collect data who are familiar with the tribespeople’s culture.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2015.