Bringing uniformity: Lawyers want FCR altered

Support extension of superiors courts to FATA

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) asked the Parliament to extend the jurisdiction of the superior judiciary to the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas through amendments in the Constitution.

A general body meeting of the PHCBA members, on the requisition of the FATA Lawyers Forum, backed the struggle of tribal leaders and their elected representatives in both the lower and upper houses.

Addressing the participants, PHCBA President Fida Gul said the tribal areas have been ruled through a draconian law called Frontier Crimes Regulation where certain fundamental rights are not given to its residents. For example, if one person commits a crime, the entire family has to face the repercussions for it under FCR.

Senior Lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi said the Parliament should amend Articles 247 (7) and 246 of Constitution to extend the jurisdiction of the superior judiciary to the tribal areas. “The FCR continues to take the basic rights of the people away from them,” he said.

A majority of the members of the association supported the 22nd amendment bill produced by the elected members of Fata. The PHCBA also appreciated the members of the National Assembly who took the step to extend jurisdiction of high court and Supreme Court to the tribal areas.

The lawyers then gathered and marched on Justice Kiyani Road in support of the bill, demanding the federal government provide all rights to residents of tribal areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2015.