Rejecting the reforms proposed recently for Fata, Bajaur Siyasi Ittehad, an alliance of various political parties in the agency, has also demanded local government elections in the tribal areas and an end to Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR).
Addressing a press conference in agency headquarters Khar on Sunday, the alliance’s president PPP’s Aurangzeb Inqalabi, flanked by other political leaders, rejected the suggested reforms under which the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor would head the FATA council and the respective political agent would head the agency council.
The alliance that comprises PPP, PML-N, ANP, JUI-F, JI and PTI also demanded Article 247 of the Constitution be revoked under which lawmakers from Fata have no authority to legislate for the tribal areas and the judiciary has no jurisdiction over Fata.
Inqalabi said the government had announced local government elections in all provinces, and Governor Mehtab Ahmad should also announce the polls in Fata so its residents’ problems can be solved at the grass-roots level.
Terming Article 246 and 247 the main hurdle in Fata’s road to progress, the alliance demanded the law be abolished and Fata be given the status provinces enjoy.
Inqalabi further said political leaders from tribal areas have presented their own reform package and the government should implement it instead of the one designed by bureaucrats. Earlier this month, the FATA Reforms Commission handed over its suggestions to Governor Mehtab.
The leader added the alliance will arrange a ‘Go FCR Go’ rally in the agency and will urge locals to join it to show the world the people want change. “Say no to FCR,” he said.
Raising objections
As the annual budget approaches, parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Sunday criticised the federal government for decreasing Fata’s budget last year.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Jamrud, MNA from Khyber Agency Shah Jee Gul, flanked by MNA Nasir Khan, Senator Hilal Rehman and Senator Momin Khan, lashed out at the federal government, saying keeping in mind law and order in Fata, its budget should have doubled.
Gul said instead of increasing Fata’s budget in the fiscal year 2014-15, the government reduced it to Rs15 billion from Rs19 billion the year prior. The MNA claimed the allocated budget did not reach the people of Fata as it has been given in the hands of corrupt people.
Setting May 30 as an ultimatum, the parliamentarians said if the problems IDPs were facing are not solved by then, Fata’s residents would take to the streets in protest and also head to Parliament House, Islamabad for a sit-in.
Fata’s lawmakers also rejected the agency council system proposed in the reforms for tribal areas and demanded LG elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2015.
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