Seminar calls for end to military operation in FATA

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: Participants of the all-parties FATA seminar, organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday demanded an independent elected council and an end to the ongoing military operation in the tribal areas.

Seminar participants also urged the government to fulfil its commitment and amend the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and facilitate the internally displaced persons (IDP) to return to their homes. Addressing the audience, JI NWFP deputy chief Haroonur Rashid said the parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms had ignored the constitutional rights of the 10 million people of the tribal areas.

Senator Hafiz Rashid Ahmad said the tribal people always rendered sacrifices for the country but their rights were always ignored and he would oppose the constitutional committee’s recommendations in the Senate, as the committee ignored the recommendations of the tribal senators. Rashid alleged that some tribal leaders were conspiring against the tribal people and demanded the establishment of a separate province with the name of Qabailistan and granting FATA a share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) FATA leader Iqbal Afridi proposed a conference of all political parties on the issue of FATA being ignored in the proposed constitutional reforms.

Tribal Union of Journalists President Ibrahim Shinwari demanded the FATA parliamentarians to resign if there recommendations were being accommodated. He said no decision should be imposed on the tribal people without taking them into confidence.