19 points FATA Declaration is needed to be implemented to emancipate FATA people from worst kind of miseries and violation of human rights

Chairperson Tribal NGOs Consortium Zar Ali Khan Afridi demanded of the government to immediately implement all the 19 points unanimously passed by the FATA citizens in FATA Grand Assembly of Reforms Council in Peshawar. He said that FATA is suffering from worst human rights. Women and children are the most vulnerable and suffered most. Million of civilian were displaced due to terrorism and so called security forces. Both forced civilians to leave the area and their houses. Almost all FATA people particularly women and children are leading a miserable life in Camps established out side of the FATA for them. We the people of FATA are very much concerned about our worst human rights violation by both terrorists and security forces. We want all fundamental human rights enshrined in constitution of Pakistan 1973 and United Nations Declaration on Human Rights for the people of FATA.  

FATA DECLARATION

PESHAWAR, SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

FATA Citizens Declaration on Reforms

FATA GRAND ASSEMBLY OF REFORMS COUNCILS

Peshawar the 22nd June, 2013

We, the tribal elders, religious clerics, political and social activists, students,   women   representatives,   lawyers,   journalists,   teachers   and other citizens from FATA, come together from all seven agencies and frontier regions and unanimously adopt this:

CITIZENS’ DECLARATION FOR FATA REFORMS

It is our consensus, as tribal citizens, that the amendments made to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in 2011 are not being implemented in their true letter and spirit. While paying homage to the Honorable President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who took notice of our miseries and enacted the FATA Reforms Package of 2011, we request the President to direct for urgent and comprehensive implementation of existing reforms.

Furthermore, we unanimously propose the following immediate changes for further reforms in FATA:

1. The   Constitutional   provisions   regarding   FATA need   to   be amended to the extent that FATA Parliamentarians could play a role or take part in the legislation for FATA. Furthermore, the constitution should be harmonized so as the fundamental rights enjoyed by the rest of country should be extendable to FATA;

2. The status of FATA should be decided by its people;

3. A FATA Council elected on adult franchised basis should be established in FATA which should be empowered to suggest to the President of Pakistan regarding the future of FATA;

4. Local Governments should be established under FATA Local Governments Regulation 2002 (with some amendments, if needed) and the Jirga system should be made more democratic, effective and representative;

5. The Political Administration should be accountable to elected representatives of Local Governments;

6. There should be reserved seats for tribal women in the National Assembly and Senate, like in the rest of Pakistan;

7. The   Frontier   Crimes   Regulation   (FCR)   should   either   be substantially   amended   or   annulled   to   recognize   the fundamental rights of the people of FATA;

8. There should be separation of judiciary and executive as in the whole of the country;

9. The jurisdiction of the High Court and Supreme Court of

Pakistan should be extended to FATA;

10. The civil armed forces, such as Khasadar and levies, should be strengthened and reinforced and adequately armed;

11. Promotion of education at the grassroots level is needed in all of FATA, while vocational training and skills development also need   special   attention.   Separate   universities   for   male   and female students, colleges and technical institutes should be established on priority basis in FATA;

12. No person, male or female, should be deprived of property without due compensation, and the law of inheritance should be extended to FATA;

13. Fully operational Hospitals equipped with adequate facilities and experienced staff should be established in every Agency and   FRs   of   FATA.   The   hospitals   should   also   have   well-equipped trauma centers. Women's and children's hospitals also need to be established so that female and child mortality rates can be decreased significantly;

14. Due attention should be accorded to a planned and phased program for infrastructure development in FATA;

15. A comprehensive development package should be initiated which will help to bring prosperity and job opportunities for the people of FATA by exploiting natural and local resources;

16. Press and Publication ordinance and PEMRA ordinance should be extended to FATA;

17. Actions in Aid of Civil Power Regulation 2011 should be abolished immediately;

18. Reserved seats for FATA and FANA should be separated;

19. Imposition of General Sales Tax (GST) in Budget 2013-14 on FATA is unanimously rejected and demanded of Government to take back the decision.

How peace will promote in FATA?

Before the advent of foreign forces in Afghanistan in 2001, the situations in FATA were comparatively peaceful. Though the terrorists and anti state actors were present in a large number in FATA. Political Agent was all in all and civil bureaucracy knew the pulse of tribal people well. The system of Jirga institution was strong and people got their disputes resolved immediately. Malik and sufaid resh that were the integral part of political system in FATA also played their role and people had to accept their authority. People in FATA are mainly attached with agriculture profession. They used to grow their own crops and ate their own food. The mobility was easy and there was no hindrance for people to meet each other and discuss their important issues and found ways and means for their resolution. Schools were opened and children could easily go to their schools. Hospitals and other health related facilities served people day and night. The roads were also safe. Badraga which is one of the important traditions of tribesmen was there and people regarded it well and obeyed what their tradition taught them. Tribalistic code was intact. The entire FATA was governed by only one secretary of the governor. Today there are four secretaries who run the affairs in FATA. In FATA an additional chief secretary has also been appointed who is the administrative head of the FATA secretariat. FATA Secretariat was primarily set up to keep FATA and settled areas separated and to create a sense of alienation among the people of FATA and settled districts. It means people were divided and distances among them were widened. FATA secretariat is such a place on the surface of earth which is set up for the people who are not allowed. This can be called a den of corruption. This is an indication for the people of FATA that they will remain aloof from their brethren in province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It can be easily understood that societies are broken and integration is discouraged. When regular forces of Pakistan entered into FATA after 2001 it took responsibilities of administration from the Political Agents and it changed the political scenario in FATA. Major and colonel took the charge from political Agents and political tehsildars. Terrorists and anti state actors started killing pro government Maliks and elders. More than 3500 pro government and pro peace elders and Maliks were ruthlessly assassinated. Many people were forced to leave the area and settle in comparatively safer and more peaceful areas of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Had the Maliks not been assassinated the peace would not have been threatened to so much an extent today. The clergy is also responsible for the destabilization of the FATA. When Mutahidda Majlis Amal or simply MMA won the general elections in 2002 in then NWFP Assembly it formed the government which encouraged the Taliban and during their time weapon was accumulated in FATA. People were recruited, trained and funded. For long five years FATA remained calm and there was no or little interference in Afghanistan by terrorists from FATA. As the government of MMA came to an end and Taliban sensed that secular parties were to win the elections then they started their subversive activities to create problems for the new comers who they thought would be antagonistic against Taliban. There are reports that more than 90 thousand people of FATA were killed and double of it got maimed. The rest were forced to flee the area and started a life of IDPs in camps in various areas which was really hard and difficult for the people of FATA.  

Border tribal belt is situated along and across both sides of Durand line. On both sides tribes live which enjoy same linguistic, cultural, ethnic and economic links with each other. When the links between two sides were broken either by terrorists or the governments of both countries especially Pakistan then it was natural that the area in question got disturbed and the region was destabilized. It is said that tribalism is the first step towards human civilization but it is also a fact that tribalism has some positive points also like mutual sympathy, participation in one another trouble and distress, hospitality, Provision of asylum, Jirgas and resolution of disputes through it. These were the few factors which kept FATA peaceful before 2001. As the aliens perched in FATA from different areas of Pakistan and world then situations changed because the out siders including Pakistan Army could not understand FATA and its people. There was a vast difference between two people and their customs and traditions.

Suggestions for promotion of peace in FATA

1.       It was a reality that FATA was a cradle of peace before 2001 despite having political and administrative problems. No power could succeed to destabilize the area.

2.       Absence of women in whole system is real cause of instability in FATA. Women should be empowered to play their due role in peace promotion.

3.       More than 3500 Maliks have been assassinated. The killers should be arrested and be punished as per law of the land and heirs of the Maliks should be compensated.

4.       The institution of traditional Jirga needs to be corruption freed and strengthened.

5.       All camps of terrorism should be eliminated from FATA.

6.       Afghanistan will be left to make progress.

7.       People living both sides of Durand line should be given right to use both areas and they will be allowed to move freely from one place to other.

8.       People need to be integrated and links be increased.

9.       Sports activities should be accelerated for peace promotion.

10.   Civil Society Organizations Networks need to be established and strengthened in FATA.

Regards

Zar Ali Khan Afridi

Executive Director

Society for Rights and Development

SF-118, Deans Trade Center Peshawar Cantt.

+92-91-3015963337

tncfata@gmail.com

Role of CSOs in ending Gender Based Violence in FATA

December 1, 2013

Peshawar: A dialogue was held in Frontier Regions of FATA titled: Role of CSOs in ending Gender Based Violence in FATA. This dialogue was organized by Society for Rights and Development with collaboration of FRs Civil Society Network and SPO jointly. A large number of people participated in dialogue and discussed almost all aspects and reasons of GBV and role of CSOs in FATA. Zar Ali Khan Afridi the Executive Director of Society for Rights and Development welcomed the participants including representatives of civil society organizations and people from almost all segments of society who came and attended this important dialogue. He said that about 16 laws related to women and their rights have been passed by assembly but no law has been yet extended to FATA. This shows apathy on the part of our legislators sitting in both houses of the parliament of the country. CSOs should come forward to work for the extension of the laws related to women rights and their security and protection. Engineer Tor Gul Chamkani a well known tribal leaders and an expert on the tribal affairs said to the participants that until Article 247 of the constitution of Pakistan is amended and all powers of President is handed over to the parliament about FATA our situations will be further deteriorated and I see no improvement so for. This is the responsibility of all those intellectuals, civil society organizations, lawyers, teachers, students and above all social and political activists to work hard to end this discrimination by forcing the democratic set up of the country. Women rights are human rights and we all know that population of FATA increases more than 10 million and half is of women who have been totally neglected and marginalized. This is an injustice. We have to recognize women rights. This is 21^st century and we all should rise our voice in this regard. Malik Luqman Afridi a social and political figure of FATA addressed participants saying that people of FATA have not yet been recognized as human being yet. Even males are deprived of the rights. Women related laws are necessary to be extended to FATA but it needs more and more work and struggle. Remember that rights are not given so easily. They are to be snatched, he elaborated. Engineer Shahi Khan Sherani an ex candidate of ANP from NA-47 said to the participants that organizing such dialogues and programs are really beneficial for the people in general and women in particular. If civil society and CSOs get united then we assure you that we all then can end this menace which is called violence against women. Our area is very backward and FATA still needs more and more reforms. We demand that all laws related to women should be ordered to be extended to FATA like other parts of the country. Zar Ali Khan Afrid thanked participants and said that such dialogues and seminars would be held in future also to get people educated about ending violence against women and to bring civil society organizations at a single plate form and work jointly and collectively to end this menace.

Regards

Zar Ali Khan Afridi, 0301-5963337

Community Awareness regarding Gender Based Violence

16 Days Activism

Seminar-28^th November, 2013

 Peshawar- A one day seminar was arranged by Society for Rights and Development in partnership with Strengthening Participator Organization (SPO) at frontier Regions of FATA titled: Community Awareness regarding Gender Based Violence in connection of 16 Days Activism starting from November 25, 2013 up to 10^th December, 2013. A large number of participants attended the seminar and spoke on the occasion regarding the topic. Zar Ali Khan Afridi Executive Director Society for Rights and Development welcomed the participants and said that violence has been defined by UN General Assembly in 1993 as Violence against women means any act of Gender Based Violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. In 1993 the General Assembly went to present a partial list of what it felt constituted Gender Based Violence including

1.      Physical, sexual, and psychological  

2.       Child sexual

3.       Dowry related violence

4.       Marital rape

5.       Female genital mutilation

6.      Rape and sexual abuse

7.      Sexual harassment in the workplaces and educational institutions

8.      Trafficking in women

9.      Forced prostitution

Men often use violence to punish perceived transgression of Gender roles to show authority and to save honor. . Violence against women is often considered normal and justified by broader society rather a criminal act, and victims instead of perpetrators are often stigmatized. Violence against women therefore can not be understood in isolation from the gender norms, social structure and roles that influence women, s vulnerability to violence. He said that violence against women can be included just slapping, hitting and beating of women and girls.  These are minors things in our society but these are crimes on the part of men against women. Women in this part of the world often keep silent over such violence. This is domestic violence. In our country bill against domestic violence was rejected by senate as well as provincial assembly of Khyber pakhtunkhwa. The MPs thought it was a family matter and such matter should not be brought to courts. This is just face saving which is not acceptable he maintained. We need to mobilize our community against violence.  For such practices to stop we need the following few things which are important to control violence against women in our society.  

1.      Reforming community based non formal system of justice

2.      Community mobilization to influence and monitor policy reforms

3.      Individual behavior change strategy

4.      Educating law enforcement and public about new laws if any. In FATA there is no such law and we are struggling to formulate the laws by pressuring government and to enforce them in FATA.

5.      Broad investment in strengthening  the law enforcement response to Gender Based Violence

6.      Special public cells and family courts are to be set up but again such rights are not given to women in FATA. Because in FATA no law of existing 16 women related laws has been extended which itself is a violation of women rights by state.

7.      Comprehensive medico-legal system reforms

8.      Building networks and alliances between legal, social and health organizations of FATA.

9.      Reforming informal justice system if exists any. As for as FATA is concerned Jirgas are held to solve most of the issues and matters. A Jirga is also constituted to decide the future of a girl and woman but unfortunately there is no representation or voice of the women and girl in Jirgas. In Pashtun Jirgas women are not given representation and only males have power to decide women and girls future. Other participants also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of 16 Days Activism campaign and pledged that despite the hard and tough situations the movement needs to be continued and women should be given due place in society equal to males.

Regards

Zar Ali Khan Afridi

Executive Director

Society for Rights and Development-03015963337