ANP rejects alternate dispute resolution system for merged districts

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Wednesday rejected the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) system in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ANP said the ADR was a new shape of the abolished Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the former tribal areas.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, ANP provincial information committee members Samar Haroon Bilour, Hamid Toofan, Rehmat Ali Khan and Taimur Baz Khan said that the government should take back the ADR system as it would increase the deprivation of the tribesmen in the merged districts. “Introduction of ADR system in the tribal districts is tantamount to express lack of confidence over the judiciary system and an effort to bring a parallel system in the former tribal areas,” Samar Haroon Bilour said.

She added the new system would multiply the worries of the tribesmen.

“The ANP demands that the district administration should be given more powers and authority to run the districts affairs and resolve the problems of the people,” she said. She added the government should transfer administrative powers to civilian set-up in the tribal districts. The government should establish district administration offices and other offices in the merged districts so that the local people could have easy access to these offices, she added.

The ANP Information committee members criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for its dual policy and stance against corrupt elements and corruption as they said that Jehangir Tareen and his group were given clean chit in sugar crisis and other corrupt practices. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has given NRO to his party men who were responsible for causing the sugar crisis,” she said and added that the PTI government was presenting false and fabricated figures regarding GDP and economic growth.

To a question, Samar Haroon Bilour said that some elements within the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had damaged its cause and popularity by issuing irresponsible statements She said the PDM leadership should apologise the ANP leadership for issuing show-cause notice to the party.