Sole answer to tribal problems: Bring FATA into mainstream

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Speakers at a ‘Round Table Conference’ were unanimous on the point that bringing Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) into mainstream politics could be the only panacea of the problems facing the tribal people since inception of the country.

They said that rudimentary human rights were being violated in FATA for decades; hence there was need to deal the problem on humanitarian grounds. The current censes shows that 5.5 million of the tribals have been deprived of their rights, which was a sheer injustice.

Speakers belonging to FATA, academia and research scholars expressed these views while speaking at the ‘Round Table Conference’ organized by a research and development organization Naveed Khan Foundation (NKF) here on Tuesday.

Among the noted speakers were MNA Ghazi Gulab Jamal from Bajaur Akhunzada Chattan Head of the Z’Comms Dr Ashraf Ali. The speakers were of the view that the FATA reforms issue initiated by the deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif has once again got momentum as new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi resumed charge.

However, they said that the federal cabinet decision of extending the jurisdiction of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) instead of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to the FATA raised fear and suspicions of the tribals regarding the FATA reforms. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government showed interest in the FATA reforms as it was included as indispensable part in the National Action Plan (NAP). The NAP was a result of the All Parties Conference (APC) held in Peshawar after the terrorist attack on Army Public School on December 14, 2016.

The two political parties Jamiat Ulemai-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) and Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMaP) are considered the main opponents to the FATA merging into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the extension of the IHC revealed that government wanted to keep the FATA under the control of centre.

Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal said at least none in FATA had opposed the abolition of Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). When the six-member committee headed by Prime Minister Advisor Sartaj Aziz visited the tribal areas nearly all the tribals showed their consent regarding abolition of the FCR.

However, the government instead to repeal the FCR tried to introduce Rawaj Act in FATA that was controversial and unacceptable to the tribals, he added.

Renowned analyst and anchor Hasan Khan said the image of the tribals had always been associated with negative connotations. He said though the tribals now demand for political rights, but the government used dilly-dallying tactics.

Former MNA from Bajaur Akhunzada Chattan lamented that national media and number of other organizations couldn’t properly highlight the FATA issue. However, he hailed that very few organizations like Naveed Khan Foundation have not only highlighted the issue but have brought the tribals to the table. He demanded that government should restore peace to the tribals that is linked to the peace in Afghanistan.

Pakistan should re-visit its foreign policy and Afghanistan should never allow that its soil to be used against Pakistan. Tribals want basic human rights and merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa these are not some impractical demands, he maintained.

Head of the Z’Comms Dr Ashraf Ali said keeping away FATA of the mainstream politics generated militancy, adding if government wanted to wipe-out terrorism it should introduce political reforms in FATA without any further delay.

He said if government was not serious in bringing FATA into mainstream politics, the tribals should never abandon their struggle. He said the tribals, students and women alliances are split on the FATA reforms that badly harm the cause.

The motives of NKF behind arranging the round-table conference are to further explore the proposed reforms and to understand the rationale of the proposed judicial extension to FATA. The NKF aimed to highlight the financial structure in FATA under the proposed forms and to suggest a future course of action in this regard.