PESHAWAR: Former lawmakers of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Tuesday demanded to set of a special bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) and police stations for FATA for the provision of speedy and inexpensive justice to tribal litigants after its merger in KP.
Shah Ghee Gul Afridi, former Fata Parliamentary Leader in National Assembly told APP that a PHC’s bench for Fata on the pattern of DI Khan, Abbottabad and Malakand divisions should be immediately constituted so that tribal litigant could get speedy and inexpensive justice at their doorsteps.
He said jurisdiction of Supreme Court (SC) and PHC has already been extended to FATA and time has come for the constitution of a special PHC’s FATA bench following the signing of 31 constitutional amendments by the President, which had completed the process of historic merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Afridi said a large number of cases were pending in FATA Tribunal since long and these cases would now be shifted to PHC for which judges’ strength should be enhanced for its speedy disposal.
Following the abolition of the century-old draconian law Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), he said SC and PHC jurisdiction to Fata would immensely help grant right of appeal, choice lawyers and ensure check and balances between the executive and judiciary.
Political agents in all seven tribal agencies would be re-designated as Deputy Commissioners and making rules and regulations for their smooth of functions and replacing FRC with CrPC and PPC was also a big challenge.
“The issue of special PHC bench for FATA has been discussed with the senior officers of Law Department and hopeful this challenge would be addressed soon,” he said.
He said a lot of time was required for construction of infrastructure including judicial complexes, residences and offices and for judges and lawyers and unless it was constructed by the government may be opened in rented buildings so that tribal people could taste fruits of KP-Fata merger.
Shortage of judges and police officers also a big challenge before the government, which could be overcome by appointing more judges and policemen through Public Service Commission KP.
“The key challenge currently confronted to FATA is delimitation’s of constituencies for KP assembly elections,” Shah Gee Gul told APP.
“Certainly, we have brought this issue in the notice of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that assured for its resolution,” he said, adding it would be extremely better for democracy viz a viz tribal people if general election for 23 FATA seats in KP Assembly was also held on July 25, 2018.
Afridi said local and international donor agencies had welcomed KP-FATA merger and showed a keen interest in making an investment in education, health, water, gas and energy projects. He said it was now the responsibility of KP Govt to facilitate investors so that tribal people could get all these rights at their doorsteps.
He said a comprehensive mechanism was required to address issues of domiciles and tribesmen quota in professional colleges, universities and Civil Services of Pakistan so that their education and employment could not be affected.
Former MNA, Shahabuddin Khan said construction of police stations, judicial complexes, residential houses for Govt officials, Patwar, revenue and land reforms besides shortage of SPs and judicial officers for Fata was a big challenge before the Government.
He demanded recruitment of judges and police officers for FATA besides improving conditions of levy and khasadar force’ check posts and stations in all the agencies and frontier regions.
“Any person guilty of the moral and criminal offence in FATA would be presented before a judicial magistrate within 24 hours and tribal people are now getting free from draconian FCR law and will not be responsible for the offense made by others,” Shahab said.
“Unless police’s infrastructure is improved, the government may upgrade and improve check posts and stations of the Levy and Khasadar Force in FATA on the pattern of Balochistan and Malakand,” he explained.
A massive increase in FATA funds and Temporarily Displaced People (TDPs) have been registered in federal budget 2018-19, which would bring tribal areas into the national mainstream within two years.
Around Rs 24.5 billion were announced in the budget for FATA development and TDPs’ rehabilitation and Rs100 billion were approved for a ten-year FATA Development Plan (FDP) besides Rs10 billion for the financial year 2018-19 and earmarking of Rs90billiofn for TDPs that would help bring hitherto tribal areas at par of developed parts of KP.
Shahab ud Din Khan said not holding of a general election for FATA seats in KP assembly would be a great injustice with tribal people and urged ECP to announce elections schedule for FATA seats on July 25, 2018, adding delaying in election may destabilize the future government in KP.
He said the best tributes to tribesmen was the completion of all the reconstructions and rehabilitation projects swiftly beside transparent utilization of development funds so that they could live in their native areas in a dignified manner with all facilities available to them at their doorsteps.
Professor Dr Ejaz Khan of International Department, University of Peshawar said that a lot of work has to be done especially in recruitment and training of judges for lower judiciary, police force besides other administrative structures to make FATA reforms goal-oriented.
He said the government should make prompt arrangements for extension of SC and PHC system to FATA on ground and urged political parties, human rights activists, academicians and students to be more vocal for KP-FATA merger and call all tribal agencies as districts and political agents as deputy commissioners so that tribal person could quickly adopt the changes.
Dr Ejaz also suggested strengthening of local governance, administrative and political structures besides ensuring check and balance system among state institutions so that all development funds for transparent utilization of development funds imperative for the speedy development of FATA.
