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.