Tribal leaders demand constitutional powers for Fata

ISLAMABAD: The tribal leaders have demanded of all the stakeholders and institutions to support constitutional reforms package for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) converting the area to Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
This was stated by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer of Fata and ex-MNA Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid and other leaders while talking to newsmen here on Tuesday.The JI Fata leader said in order to constitutional rights to the tribal people, the area would have to be brought within jurisdiction of the Parliament and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Commenting on a notion that the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) was the best law, the JI leader suggested if the FCR was so good then why it is not imposed in the federal capital.He said the tribal people had given numerous sacrifices for Pakistan and hoped that the traditional deadlock would be broken and the administration would also surrender its authority and powers.
He said except from Article 247, no other clause or Article of the Constitution apply on the tribal areas. “The people of Fata wanted to live within jurisdiction of the Constitution and join the national mainstream,” the JI leader said.
Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid told newsmen that after holding successful ‘Haqooq Fata Rally’ at D Chowk on Monday, the Fata leaders would now stage a protest camp in front of the Parliament House in the next phase.