Open Forum on FATA reforms Past and Present held at University of Peshawar

Although reforms in the Frontier Crime Regulations is a way forward towards the better for the people of FATA yet peace and security remains their major problems and in the absence of them all the reforms and regulations in the law would be very much academic than practical, said speakers at the one day open forum on FATA reforms, past and present held at Department of Journalism and Mass communication, University of Peshawar. They said that even in the reformed FCR, bureaucracy has the upper hand and that is why it is less likely to address the core issues of the people. No consultation what so ever has been done with the people of FATA or their representatives in assembly before imposing yet another law on them with a stroke of a pen, they argued.

Pakistan`s former Ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Momand, who was the keynote speakers on the occasion said that, more than fifty percent of our tribal area has been destroyed in the last seven to eight years and most of the areas have been declared as ghost towns after a virtual genocide of the people of FATA, which has resulted in more than forty thousand casualties. He added that people of FATA must be treated as human beings and those responsible for their miseries must be put to task.

Let us be mindful of the fact that FATA areas can never be the same again. The decision of a military commander in 2001 of aligning this country with the US war in Afghanistan has created an explosive situation in the area, he said. While in the last seven years the political administration has remained a consultant to the military rather than looking after the overall situation by themselves, and unless the civil administration pursue their original designated duties, peace and socio political and economic development in these areas would remain an elusive dream , the Ambassador Added.

Adding or removing specific clauses from FCR would not improve law and order situation in FATA. In Karachi alone four thousand people have been killed in the last four years. Same is the case in Baluchistan but not a single culprit has been punished, they are neither FATA areas nor FCR governs those areas. Three and half thousand people are missing in Pakistan among which presumably five hundred have been killed without being tried at any court of law, which clearly indicates that removing or adding commas or clauses in Laws does not at all means that all has been achieved, he maintained.

Education, human resource development and infrastructure are the main problems of people of FATA. Today more than eight lac people of FATA are living as IDP`s most of whom don’t have the basic necessities of life. In this position of agony they are less bothered about reforms in FCR. If at all we are to make reforms in FATA, the people views should be respected and included in them, the Ambassador concluded.

Mr. Ayaz Wazir said that after the creation of Pakistan, the government has continued with the FCR laws which are very disheartening for us as people of FATA. They have also stopped the inter tribal connectivity and whenever you want to visit one tribal area from another you would first come to the settled area and then go there. This has been done by design to keep the tribal people detached, he added. He said that although tribal areas are considered as fifth unit of the country, yet the ruling elites have not tried to make it a province and give a proper political system to them. Instead they are ruled under a civil servant and nominated malaks. He demanded immediate repealing or amendment of the FCR reforms, involving locals in its drafting. Ayaz Wazir blamed the media for not highlighting the core issues of FATA and the frequent human rights violations over there.

Representative of BBC Rifatullah Orakzai said that media has limitations in reaching out to the people of FATA because of the militancy over there and most of the time we have to remain dependent on information being passed out to us by the law enforcement personnels. He added that lots of journalists have been killed in the line of duty to bring facts out of FATA.

Director Area Study Centre Prof. Sarfaraz said that people of FATA are not in social contract with the sate that is why they cannot be called as human beings, they can be called as subjects instead, he added. At this point in time representatives of FATA in the assembly are used as a tool to make and break the government and they often remains weapon of establishment in toppling governments, he maintained.

Dr. Sarfaraz described beneficiaries within the establishment as a major factor in formulating proper laws for the people of FATA. It can rightly be said that through reforms in the FCR people of FATA are on their way to become human beings, he added.

rganizer of the open forum, chairman department of Journalism and Mass Communication Dr. Altafullah thanked the participants for giving their valuable time and comments on the topic. The forum was attended by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Qayyum, Prof. Dr. Shahjehan Syed, President Peshawar Press Club Saif ul Islam Saifi, members of media faculty members and students of University of Peshawar.

Mr.Akhtar Amin
Media & Protocol Officer
University of Peshawar