Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of States and Border Areas (Safron) Amir Muqam has clarified that the federal government does not separate the districts previously some of the previously federally administered tribal areas (FATA) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Muqam said Muqam was tackling a press conference in Islamabad, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up a special committee on the merged districts with sincere intentions.
The special committee initiated in its initial session on July 1 considered considerations of resuscating the traditional Jirga system in previous FATA districts, which were merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province in early 2018 through the 25th constitutional change.
During the meeting of July 1, Muqam emphasized as chairman of the committee the need for an alternative legal system that is rooted in tribal duties, but in line with constitutional principles.
The committee also decided to form a subcommittee to prepare recommendations and agree to hold its next session in KP’s capital, Peshawar.
In explained the background to the development, the minister said in a Jirga, held during Shehbaz’s recent visit to KP, stammered the oldest of the stem from the merged districts to the prime minister about their problems.
He said that the Prime Minister later formed a committee that includes representatives from all relevant parties and is tasked with improving the living conditions of the population of the merged districts.
He confirmed that the committee’s meeting decided to consult both current and former parliamentarians on these issues, but expressed regrets about the opposition’s decision to Boikotte the committee and emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach to developing these areas.
He said laws could be improved, but emphasized that no new constitutional amendment was introduced. “The reigning party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is fragmented and currently no contacts have been made with any political group – although in politics is everything possible,” he noted.
“Decisions will be made in accordance with the ambitions of the population of the merged districts. The committee will engage all stakeholders, including elected representatives, and will work through broad consultations to tackle tribal problems and improve the government in the region,” he said.
PTI rejects Govt’s Fata Jirga plan
PTI rejected the federal government’s “unilateral” decision to introduce reforms in the previously federally administered tribal areas (FATA) and called it malicious and a violation of constitutional principles.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the committee created by FATA is based on a press conference in the KP house in Islamabad on Monday and said the committee formed by FATA is based on bad faith.
“The appointment of Amir Muqam who calls for evidence that it is only symbolic, since he neither represents FATA nor has the public mandate from the area,” he said.
Gohar pointed out that out of 17 MPAs from the merged districts, 14 belong to PTI, but they were excluded from the committee, as he said is a violation of their constitutional and democratic rights. “PTI rejects this committee and requires its immediate resolution,” he added.
KP -time Governor Shah Farman declared that a promise was made during the FATA merger that development funds would be paid through locally elected representatives. Unfortunately, he said, that promise was not fulfilled.
He noted that FATA MNAs could vote for questions about the whole country, but not for their own regions, which is deeply regrettable. Forman warned that resuscitation of laws such as Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and recovery of resident area’s privileges is a clear violation of the merger agreement.
MNA Iqbal Afridi said globally that the principle is first to provide facilities and funds before imposing taxes. “In contrast, previously FATA has been exposed to taxes without development schemes or resources.”
As a member of the Safron Committee, as a member of the Safron Committee, he knew that the committee never had a formal consultation that changed FATA’s status.
Sheikh Waqa’s Acram said during the Dekke of “Consultation”, FATA is targeted and the government trampling constitutional principles. He warned that if decisions are imposed by the government, there will be a strong opposition from the population of FATA and KP.
He said the federal government owes the people of FATA RS700 billion, which will be met over the next three years as promised. Otherwise, it will be another betrayal.
KP Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Khan presented figures in which they said that since 2018 only RS132 billion has been given to previous FATA despite a promise of RS1,000 billion.
He added that even after fence, peace could not be restored in FATA, because when a region is deprived of resources, it moves towards behind.
At the end of the press conference, the representatives of merged districts adopted a unanimous attitude and claimed that any constitutional amendment, if required, is to be implemented by the KP Province Government. The federal government has no right to interfere.
We will form our own Jirga and we will not accept any non-representative decisions, they added.
