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President for continuation of FATA reform process
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday stressing continuation of reform process in FATA said people of the area need to be given due rights, as they have suffered at the hands of criminals, Taliban and drone strikes.
Addressing a Convention of the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said he can fully understand pain of people of the area, as he himself has experienced how it feels when one sees the dead body of a close family member.
“Our family has suffered, we have sacrificed lives, we understand your pain and will always stand by you,” the president said.
He said that people of the area faced innumerable challenges; both because of local and foreign elements, criminals and terrorists. He said it was important that they were fully empowered to help them cope with these challenges.
President Zardari termed the reform process in FATA as “far reaching” and said it will now enable the political parties to have a presence in the area, participate in the general election and serve the masses.
President Zardari said “the rights now given to the people of FATA can neither be withdrawn nor curtailed.”
He expressed hope that government will carry forward the reform process initiated in one of the country’s most impoverished areas.
Vowing to stand by the people of FATA, the president said he was proud to have done away with the archaic system prevalent in the area.
He said now it has been replaced with one that was reforms-oriented and had democracy at its core.
He said during his tenure his focus was on serving the underprivileged, deprived, minorities and the women.
The president was addressing the participants comprising tribal Maliks and elite, lawyers, educationists, students, women representatives and journalists who had prepared the 19-point FATA Declaration, that was approved by a Grand Assembly in Peshawar last month.
The Declaration urges immediate full implementation of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) 2011, people of FATA also be given fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution, establishment of Local Government system and reserved seats for women.
President Zardari said the amendments made in the FCR were aimed at empowering the people of the area and to ensure their bright future.
He recalled that suggestions were made that the reform process be initiated once peace returns to the area, however he did not agree and went ahead with the reform package, along with the measures for peace.
He said the reforms initiated were not complete, but hoped the process for improvement would continue.
He said the process of change in FATA was in line with the policy under which women, youth, senior citizens and minorities have been empowered and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa got its name.
The president said he believed in serving the masses and was not inclined towards power for the sake of power.
He said he empowered the Parliament as he believes in the supremacy of the people and would like to leave with dignity and honour, on completion of his term.
The event was organised by the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation. Chief Executive Officer of Shaheed Bhutto Foundation Khalid M. Shafi said FATA reforms were aimed at bringing the area into national mainstream.
The declaration also calls for extending the jurisdiction of the High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan to FATA, promotion of education including vocational training, separate universities for men and women, proper health facilities and hospitals and infrasturcture development.
The FATA declaration was unanimously approved by over 300 members of the FATA Reforms Councils, marking the culmination of a five-year long consensus building process. The process was initiated by the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation in 2008, to give a voice to the people of FATA and to push for a change through reforms.
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Courtesy www.geo.tv