Committee formed by PM visits NWA

Tribal elders want Fata merged into KP, FCR abolished

MIRANSHAH: People from various walks of life in a consultative jirga with the members of the committee set up for bringing reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Thursday called for abolishing the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and merger of the tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five-member committee including the Advisor to prime minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, Minister of State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Abdul Qadir Baloch, the National Security Advisor to Prime Minister, Nasir Khan Janjua and Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hanmid Khan held consultation with the tribal elders, politicians, traders, journalists and representatives of other organisations in Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan Agency here.

Political Agent Kamran Afridi, elected representatives and civil and military officials also attended the jirga.Sartaj Aziz said the committee would convey the opinion of the tribespeople to the government. He said later a policy would be formed for Fata in light of the reforms proposed by the five-member committee.

Governor Sardar Mahtab said the tribespeople supported the government and security forces through thick and thin and defended the geographical frontiers of the country with their blood.He said that ensuring a peaceful, bright and prosperous future for the children of the tribespeople was the top priority of the federal government.

The governor added that no compromise would be made on the future of the coming generations of Fata and restoration of lasting peace there.He said the federal government would include the Fata in the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project to remove sense of deprivation among its people and redress their economic issues. The representatives of the Fata Political Alliance and Youth of North Waziristan Agency chanted slogans of ‘Go FCR Go’ during the jirga.

The tribal elders, representatives of Fata Political Alliance, Youth of North Waziristan Agency, traders and journalist community termed the FCR a draconian law, urged for its immediate abolishment and called for merger of Fata into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The elders of the Utmanzai tribe demanded the government to make arrangements for early return of the displaced families to their native areas. They also demanded provision of compensation for financial and property losses suffered by the tribespeople without any further delay.

The tribal elders urged the governor to make arrangements for the return of the displaced families residing in Afghanistan. The governor directed the political agent to play his role in this regard.Sardar Mahtab said that the anti-Pakistan elements would try to promote anti-state sentiments among the tribespeople living in Afghanistan.