News
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Frontier Crimes Regulation amendedPolitical activities allowed in FATA
* Under reforms, an accused has to be produced before an authority within 24 hours of his arrest and has the right to bail
* Women, children below 16 and those aged above 65 shall not be arrested or detained under Collective Responsibility
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed two decrees that set into motion the far-reaching administrative, judicial and political reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The two decrees signed by the president were amendments in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), 2011 and Extension of the Political Parties Order 2002 to the Tribal Areas. Through the decrees, the government has allowed political parties to operate freely for the first time in the Tribal Areas and amended the harsh colonial laws in a bid to lessen the grip of Taliban and al Qaeda and contain systemic violence in the semi-autonomous region.
Speaking on the occasion, President Zardari said that his head bowed in gratitude before Allah Almighty for having fulfilled yet another promise made with the people of FATA.
He congratulated the tribesmen for harmonising reforms with their tribal customs and traditions. He said that the legal and political reforms would rid the tribal people of a century of bondage and usher them into mainstream of national life while respecting local customs and traditions.
“In the long run we must defeat the terrorist mindset to defend our country, our democracy, our institutions and our way of life,” Zardari said.
President Zardari, responding to the demand for making the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) a province, said, “Making a province is not a simple process.” He said a national consensus was required to make a new province and added that the basic decision about the status of FATA rested with the people of FATA and not with the Presidency.
He said that the door had been unlocked and it was for the people of the Tribal Areas to decide how much more reforms they wanted in their system of governance.
“Henceforth the political parties, subject to appropriate regulations to be framed, will be freely allowed to operate in the Tribal Areas and present their socio-economic programmes,” Zardari’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Babar said that allowing political parties to operate freely meant “a vacuum had been filled” and that parties would now liaise with tribal elders in order to carry out their activities in a peaceful manner.
Under the reforms, an accused has to be produced before an authority within 24 hours of his arrest and has the right to bail. He said women, children below 16 and those aged above 65 would not be arrested or detained under Collective Responsibility.
For the first time the funds at the disposal of the political agent would be audited by Auditor General of Pakistan, the spokesperson said. Political analyst and director of Centre for Civic Education Zafarullah Khan said it was a “historic” development and political parties’ activities would create peace and tolerance in the region.
President Zardari signed the important documents at the Presidency in the presence of a number of representatives from FATA, besides Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and federal ministers.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk