Jirga urges Centre to abolish FCR, merge Fata into KP

PESHAWAR: A tribal jirga called by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday asked the federal government to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and merge Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within two months or else they would march on Islamabad.

The JI had convened the jirga to discuss the process of bringing reforms in Fata. Speaking on the occasion, JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq said the FCR was imposed on the tribespeople by the British Raj so it must be abolished to provide relief to the people. He sought the abolition of the FCR and merger of Fata with KP.

Sirajul Haq said that if Fata reforms were not implemented within two months, his party would march on Islamabad. He added that the people of Fata had always sacrificed for the country, but the rulers were least bothered to mitigate their sufferings. “The tribesmen are patriotic people, but they were never given their due rights. They have been suffering due to militancy and lawlessness for 15 years,” he said.

Sirajul Haq said that Fata was ignored as no tangible development work was carried out there. He added that the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would help remove the sense of deprivation among the tribespeople and bring tribal areas into the mainstream. JI leaders Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Zarnoor Afridi, Haroonur Rashid and others also addressed the gathering.

A unanimous resolution adopted by the jirga demanded the abolition of the FCR, merger of Fata with KP, carrying out census in all tribal areas, increasing share of Fata in the National Finance Commission from 3 to 6 percent, announcing compensation for terror victims and holding general election on the pattern of other provinces.