Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of States and Border Regions (SAFRON) Amir Muqam said that the federal government does not separate the districts earlier from the old tribal areas administered by the Federal Government (FATA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
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The special committee of its inaugural session on July 1 launched deliberations on the Renaissance of the traditional Jirga system in the former districts of Fata, which were merged with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in early 2018 in the 25th constitutional amendment.
During the meeting of July 1, Muqam as chairman of the committee underlined the need for an alternative justice system rooted in tribal customs but aligned on constitutional principles.
The Committee also decided to form a subcommittee to write recommendations and agreed to hold its next session in the capital of KP, Peshawar.
Explaining the a history of development, the minister said in a Jirga held during the recent visit to Shehbaz at the KP, the former tribal of merged districts spoke to the PM of their problems.
He declared that the Prime Minister later trained a committee which includes representatives of all the parties concerned and responsible for improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the merged districts.
He confirmed that the Committee’s meeting had decided to consult the current and former parliamentarians on these questions, but expressed his regret as to the opposition decision to boycott the committee, stressing the importance of a unified approach for the development of these areas.
He said that laws could be improved, but stressed that no new constitutional amendment was introduced. “The ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is fragmented, and currently, no contact has been established with any political group-although politics, everything is possible,” he noted.
“Decisions will be made in accordance with the aspirations of the people of the merged districts. The committee will hire all stakeholders, including elected representatives, and will work through major consultations to respond to tribal concerns and improve governance in the region,” he said.
Pti rejects Govt’s Fata Jirga Plan
The PTI has rejected the federal government’s “unilateral” decision to introduce reforms in the old tribal areas administered by the Federal Government (FATA), calling it maliciousness and a violation of constitutional principles.
Addressing a press conference in KP House in Islamabad on Monday, the president of the PTI, lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, said that the federal government committee concerning the FATA was based on bad faith.
“The appointment of Amir Muqam as manager proves that she is simply symbolic, because he does not represent Fata or holds the public mandate in the region,” he said.
Gohar stressed that out of 17 AMP of the districted districts, 14 belong to the PTI but they were excluded from the Committee, which, he said, is a violation of their constitutional and democratic rights. “The PTI rejects this committee and requires its immediate dissolution,” he added.
Former KP governor Shah Farman said that when the Fata is merged, a promise was made that development funds would be spent by elected officials. Unfortunately, he said, this promise has not been held.
He noted that the Fata MNA could vote for questions about the whole country but not for their own regions, which is deeply regrettable. Farman warned that the revival of laws such as the frontier crimes Regulation (FCR) and the restoration of the privileges of the established area constitute a clear violation of the merger agreement.
MNA IQBAL Afridi declared on a global scale, the principle is first to provide facilities and funds before imposing taxes. “On the other hand, the former FATA has been subject to taxes without any development or resources scheme.”
Afridi said that as a member of the Safron Committee, he knew that the committee had never organized an official consultation amending Fata’s status.
Sheikh Waqas Akram said under the guise of “consultation”, the Fata is targeted and that the government trampled up the constitutional principles. He warned that if the decisions are imposed by the government, there will be strong resistance from the inhabitants of the Fata and the KP.
He said that the federal government owes the people of 700 billion Rs in Fata, which must be filled over the next three years as promised. Otherwise, it will be another betrayal.
The Minister of Provincial Law of KP, Alam Khan, presented figures, declaring that since 2018, only RS132 billion has been given to the former FATA despite a promise of RS1,000 billion rupees.
He added that even after closing, peace could not be restored in the FATA because when a region is deprived of resources, it goes towards the delay.
At the end of the press conference, representatives of the merged districts adopted a unanimous position, claiming that any constitutional amendment, if necessary, must be undertaken by the provincial government of KP. The federal government does not have the right to interfere.
We will train our own jirga and we will not accept any non-representative decision, they added.
