Jirga rejects Fata merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

GHALLANAI: Rejecting the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a jirga on Monday asked the government to bring reforms in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

The jirga also called for strengthening of jirga system in Fata. Around 100 representatives of various tribes of Mohmand Agency attended the jirga at the Mohmand Press Club here.

Malik Nusrat Khan Tarakzai, Malik Amir Nawaz Haleemzai, Malik Sakhi Ghulam Khwezai, Malik Mehmood Jan Burhankhel, Malik Nadir Manan Kodakhel, Malik Jan Muhammad Safi, Malik Ziarat Gul Atmarkhel and others attended the Jirga.

They said that some people from Fata were trying to impose such a law on the tribal areas that could affect the local tribal customs and jirga system. They said that they were not against the development of tribal areas but were against the complete abolition of the FCR.

The representatives said that the clauses of FCR that were against human rights and an impediment to progress should be amended or abolished. They said that the demand for merger of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was unrealistic as the province lacked the resources.

The elders said that some self-proclaimed representatives and politicians misguided the tribal people on the issue of reforms and future status of Fata.They asked the government to decide the future of Fata as per the aspirations of the tribal people.