Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of States and the Border Regions (Safron) Amir Muqam has clarified that the federal government is not separating the earliest districts from the old tribal areas administered by the Federal Government (Fata) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
When heading to a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, Muqam said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a special committee in the districts merged with sincere intentions.
The Special Committee in its inaugural session on July 1 began deliberations on the rebirth of the traditional Jirga system in former Fata districts, which merged with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in early 2018 until the 25th constitutional amendment.
During the July 1 meeting, Muqam as president of the Committee emphasized the need for an alternative justice system rooted in tribal customs, but aligned with constitutional principles.
The Committee also decided to form a subcommittee to write recommendations and agreed to celebrate its next session in the capital of the KP, Peshawar.
Explaining the history of development, said the minister in a jirga held during Shehbaz’s recent visit to the KP, the tribal elders of the fused districts told Prime Minister about their problems.
He said that the prime minister formed a committee that includes representatives of all relevant parties and was responsible for improving the living conditions of people in the fused districts.
He confirmed that the committee meeting decided to consult with the current and previous parliamentarians on these matters, but expressed their regret for the opposition decision to boycott the committee, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach to the development of these areas.
He said the laws could be improved, but emphasized that a new constitutional amendment was not being introduced. “The ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is fragmented, and no contacts have been made with any political group, although in politics, everything is possible,” he said.
“The decisions will be made according to the aspirations of the people of the fused districts. The committee will involve all interested parties, including elected representatives, and will work through broad consultations to address tribal concerns and improve governance in the region,” he said.
PTI rejects Government’s Fata Jirga Plan
The PTI rejected the “unilateral” decision of the federal government to introduce reforms in the old tribal areas administered by the Federal Government (Fata), qualifying it as malicious and a violation of the constitutional principles.
When heading to a press conference at KP House in Islamabad on Monday, the president of the PTI, the lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, said that the committee formed by the federal government with respect to Fata is based on bad faith.
“Appointing Amir Muqam as his convener shows that it is simply symbolic, since it does not represent Fata or retains the public mandate of the area,” he said.
Gohar said that 17 MPA of the fused districts, 14 belong to the PTI, but were excluded from the committee, which, he said, is a violation of their constitutional and democratic rights. “The PTI rejects this committee and demands its immediate dissolution,” he added.
The former governor of KP, Shah Farman, declared that during the fusion of Fata, it was promised that the development funds would be disbursed through locally chosen representatives. Unfortunately, he said, that promise was not fulfilled.
He pointed out that Fata Mnas could vote for issues related to the whole country, but not by its own regions, which is deeply unfortunate. Farman warned that reviving laws such as the regulation of border crimes (FCR) and the restoration of established area privileges is a clear violation of the merger agreement.
MNA IQBAL Aphridi said worldwide that the principle is to first provide facilities and funds before imposing taxes. “In contrast, the old Fata has been subjected to taxes without any development scheme or resource.”
Aphridi said as a member of the Safron committee, he knew that the committee never made a formal consultation that changed the state of Fata.
Sheikh Waqas Akram said under the appearance of “consultation”, Fata is being attacked and the government is trampling the constitutional principles. He warned that if the government imposes decisions, there will be a strong resistance from the people of Fata and the KP.
He said that the federal government owes the people of Fata RS700 billion, which must be fulfilled in the next three years as promised. Otherwise, it will be another betrayal.
The Minister of Provincial Law of KP, AFTAB Alam Khan, presented figures, stating that since 2018, they have only been granted to RS132 billion to the old Fata despite a promise of RS1,000 billion.
He added that even after fencing, peace could not be restored in Fata because when a region is deprived of resources, it moves towards the backwardness.
At the end of the press conference, the representatives of the fused districts adopted a unanimous position, stating that any constitutional amendment, if necessary, must be carried out by the provincial government of KP. The federal government has no right to interfere.
We will form our own Jirga, and we will not accept any non -representative decision, they added.
