The Khyber Agency tribesmen, political party leaders and civil society members collectively rejected Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) and asked the Reforms Committee to merge FATA in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Reforms committee members including Sartaj Aziz,Federal Minister Abdul Qadar Baloch and federal law minister Zahid Hamid and others visited Landikotal on Monday and held two different sessions with the stakeholders in Landikotal Jirga Hall.
The first session was held with the tribal elders and pro-administration Malik’s while the second session was scheduled with traders and political party leaders. Media was also banned to cover the session held by the tribal elders and Malik’s who mostly demanded changes in FCR. However, political parties jointly boycotted the session and held protest outside the Jirga Hall and in Landikotal bazaar.
Situation went out of control in the Landikotal Jirga Hall when some of the privileged class elders and Malik’s asked the committee for changes in FCR, while MNA Shahjee Gul Afridi’s workers and other civil society members in the hall chanted slogans against former federal minister Hamidullah Jan when he was invited to deliver his speech.
The Jirga Hall was voiced with the words “Shame Shame and FCR Murdabad”. Several core political party leaders including Awami National Party Landikotal president Shah Hussain Shinwari and Jamat-e-Islami FATA Naib Ameer Zarnoor Afridi were pulled out of the Jirga hall by the Khasadars personnel.
Later talking to reporters the Governor KP Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said that tribal people had their right to share their views and concerns about FATA status. He said it would be an irreparable blunder with the 10 million tribal people if FATA status was changed without the consent of the tribesmen who severely suffered of militancy.
The governor said PML-N led government believes to resolve national and regional matters after they developed consensus and mutual understanding gave an equal share to all the citizens. Adding that many of the core matters including China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was an example which was launched when the current government removed all the grievances and objections.
Chairman Reforms Committee, Sartaj Aziz said that their duty was to record point views of the different schools of thought so that they could made the final decision an easy step for the PM.
Journalists including Ashrafuddin Pirzada, Nasib Shah Shinwari, Sudhir Ahmad Afridi,Ibrahim Shinwari,Akmal Khan and Qazi Fazlullah also gave their suggestions to the governor. They told the committee that FCR was used as weapon against tribal people and they were considered as aliens and residents with no human rights.
Meanwhile, thousands of tribesmen, political party leaders and Jamat-e-Islami, Pakistan People’s Party, Jameat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Awami National Party and National Party workers and leaders staged protest rally in Landikotal bazaar during the FCR Reforms Committee sessions held in the official Jirga Hall.
Due to the less space in the Jirga Hall political party leaders and traders were invited at the second session, said assistant political agent of Landikotal Rahimullah Khan Mehsud.
Market places and other shops in Landikotal bazaar were partially closed to avoid any untoward situation during the angry mob came out on the roads in Landikotal.
