Ex-CJP says tribal maliks, FCR hurdles to Fata mainstreaming

Iftikhar Chaudhry wants referendum to decide status of tribal areas

LANDIKOTAL: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and Pakistan Justice Democratic Party President Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that tribal maliks and Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) were the two main constraints that hobbled efforts being made to bring the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into the mainstream politics.

Addressing a gathering here, he said that tribal people had always played their role to make Pakistan stronger.

He said that tribal people always defended Pakistan’s borders at the cost of their lives. “The Pakistani nation should be proud of the bravery and loyalty of the tribal people,” he added.

“It is very unfortunate that despite their loyalty to the country, tribal people were treated worse than slaves,” he maintained.

He blamed the tribal maliks for deterioration in law and order situation in Fata in the past seven decades. He said tribal maliks implemented the FCR in letter and spirit to oppress the tribesmen.

Chaudhry Iftikhar came down hard on the sitting Fata parliamentarians and said that tribal MNAs and senators had failed to serve the people.

Pointing to the decade-long militancy in Fata, he said people in Fata were deprived of their constitutional and basic human rights.

He said the condition of schools, roads, and health facilities in Fata indicated that the rulers had been unable to deliver on pledges.

Chaudhry Iftikhar said it was the failure of the MNA and senator from NA-45 that they couldn’t establish a single small industry to provide jobs to the thousands of jobless youth in Khyber Agency.  

He alleged that the MNAs and senators from Fata made money and deceived their voters who sent them to the Parliament to get their rights.

Chaudhry Iftikhar rejected the report of the Fata Reforms Committee and said the government didn’t take the common man into confidence.

He demanded the government to hold a referendum to decide the status of Fata in line with the aspirations of the tribal people. The former CJP said that extending the jurisdiction of the high court and Supreme Court to Fata was the ultimate solution to the long-awaited grievances of the ten million Fata people.

He said if his party came into power it would explore minerals and establish small and medium level industries in Fata.

Chaudhry Iftikhar said that India wanted to destabilise Pakistan through various means. However, he said that Islamabad should strengthen brotherly relations with Afghanistan.

Later, the former chief justice visited the shrine of Amir Hamza Shinwari and offered fateha.

Earlier, hundreds of family members of Daulat Khan Afridi announced joining the Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party.

Thousands of residents and supporters showered rose petals on Chaudhry Iftikhar and warmly welcomed him.