RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: The Political Parties Joint Committee on FATA Reforms (also called FATA Committee) will meet this week with the government’s FATA Reforms Commission to discuss their 11-point reform recommendations for the tribal areas.

After meeting with the senior leadership of eight political parties this year and as a Constitution amendment bill has been presented in Senate, the FATA Committee plans to urge that their reform proposals are fully incorporated in the recommendations to be made by the Commission established by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and chaired by Ejaz Qureshi. The Commission was asked by the Governor to make its final recommendations by March 2015.

Stating that reforms are needed for longstanding peace and stability in FATA and ANP; JI, JUI-F, MQM, NP, PPP, PML, PML-N, PTI and QWP emphasize that now is the time for government to move forward on the reforms agenda and provide a new democratic system for FATA.

The FATA Committee also sent letters last week to President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PTI leader Imran Khan requesting meetings to discuss the parties’ consensus FATA reforms.

The letters stated that, “the FATA Committee has undergone extensive review of tribal citizens’ reform priorities and initial reforms enacted by former President Asif Ali Zardari in 2011. Thereafter, we have developed consensus demands for additional reforms in the tribal areas”.

The 10 parties consensus demands include “amending Article 247 of the Constitution, enacting local bodies election, increasing development work, separating executive and judicial powers in FATA, and other urgent recommendations”, the letters also said.

Party leaders also emphasize that the ongoing North Waziristan IDP crisis has exposed the ignored status of FATA and shows that all FATA citizens are being denied their constitutional rights. The 10 parties on the Committee agree that in accordance with Article 15 of the Constitution of Pakistan, IDPs should be permitted free access to all provinces of Pakistan, just as any Pakistani enjoys.

The ten political parties also call for media to be guaranteed free and open access to IDPs in Bannu and elsewhere. Also, NADRA’s difficulty verifying all IDPs highlights the difficulties all FATA residents face when trying to obtain Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC).

Working together since 2010 and with complete support of the leadership of each of the ten political parties, the FATA Committee works to continue the reforms process for a brighter, prosperous FATA.

The parties plan to continue work with Senators and members of the National Assembly to develop a constitutional amendment bill for Article 247 to guarantee fundamental rights and shift legislative power for FATA from the President of Pakistan to parliament.