National Assembly and Action for FATA Reforms (2 Nov 2014, Hum Bhi Pakistan #12, PTV News)
http://fatareforms.org/2014/10/30/ptv-talk-show-on-fata-and-idps-to-broadcast-saturday/ -- Broadcast on Sunday, November 2 at 6:00pm, the second program in the series focuses on the the work of Senators and Members of the National Assembly to push forward the FATA reforms agenda at the parliamentary level.
Program guests include Senator Afrasiab Khatak (ANP) and Dr. G.G. Jamal (MNA, Orakzai Agency), leader of the FATA parliamentarians group. The program discusses administrative and legal hurdles in the way to reforms in FATA and establishes the constitutional point that it is for the Senate and National Assembly of Pakistan to legislate for reforms in FATA. Hosts and guests indicate that it is the responsibility of the federal government to prepare a package of reforms and get it approved from Senate and National Assembly with the support of political parties.
The PTV series will bring political leaders, FATA parliamentarians, experts and young people to the table to discuss important issues facing the tribal areas and the entire nation of Pakistan. Never before did FATA come under such focused and sustained debate involving leading stakeholders from within FATA as well as those representing Pakistan’s mainstream political parties – a first in FATA’s political rights struggle.
The 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and Article 247 of the Constitution of Pakistan govern FATA. The FCR is a regulation that was essentially a replication of the British-era magistrate system, but with a Political Agent (PA) at the centre. The FCR turns this district-level government administrator into an uncrowned king of the tribal agency under his control.
The PA’s control extends into the agency by way of a privileged class of Maliks — about 35,000 of them — that officially hold the title and serve as the bridge between the PA and local people. Residents of FATA obtained the right of adult franchise only in 1997 and the Political Parties Order was extended before the 2013 general elections, allowing political parties to participate in elections in FATA for the first time.
But this hardly changes the reality that extremely wealthy people in FATA buy votes for the National Assembly or the Senate (20 seats altogether). It also remains a fact that while being members in parliament, MNAs and Senators are prohibited by Article 247 of the constitution from influencing governance or legislation in FATA. What is more ironic is that by the virtue of the FCR, the MNAs from the tribal areas are virtually subject to the will of their respective unelected political agents, who can place them under house arrest, banish them, or even have their properties demolished or seized.
The dominant majority of FATA residents demand that the FCR be abolished and the tribal area be brought under the Constitution.
Link: http://fatareforms.org/2014/10/30/ptv-talk-show-on-fata-and-idps-to-broadcast-saturday/
Program guests include Senator Afrasiab Khatak (ANP) and Dr. G.G. Jamal (MNA, Orakzai Agency), leader of the FATA parliamentarians group. The program discusses administrative and legal hurdles in the way to reforms in FATA and establishes the constitutional point that it is for the Senate and National Assembly of Pakistan to legislate for reforms in FATA. Hosts and guests indicate that it is the responsibility of the federal government to prepare a package of reforms and get it approved from Senate and National Assembly with the support of political parties.
The PTV series will bring political leaders, FATA parliamentarians, experts and young people to the table to discuss important issues facing the tribal areas and the entire nation of Pakistan. Never before did FATA come under such focused and sustained debate involving leading stakeholders from within FATA as well as those representing Pakistan’s mainstream political parties – a first in FATA’s political rights struggle.
The 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and Article 247 of the Constitution of Pakistan govern FATA. The FCR is a regulation that was essentially a replication of the British-era magistrate system, but with a Political Agent (PA) at the centre. The FCR turns this district-level government administrator into an uncrowned king of the tribal agency under his control.
The PA’s control extends into the agency by way of a privileged class of Maliks — about 35,000 of them — that officially hold the title and serve as the bridge between the PA and local people. Residents of FATA obtained the right of adult franchise only in 1997 and the Political Parties Order was extended before the 2013 general elections, allowing political parties to participate in elections in FATA for the first time.
But this hardly changes the reality that extremely wealthy people in FATA buy votes for the National Assembly or the Senate (20 seats altogether). It also remains a fact that while being members in parliament, MNAs and Senators are prohibited by Article 247 of the constitution from influencing governance or legislation in FATA. What is more ironic is that by the virtue of the FCR, the MNAs from the tribal areas are virtually subject to the will of their respective unelected political agents, who can place them under house arrest, banish them, or even have their properties demolished or seized.
The dominant majority of FATA residents demand that the FCR be abolished and the tribal area be brought under the Constitution.
Link: http://fatareforms.org/2014/10/30/ptv-talk-show-on-fata-and-idps-to-broadcast-saturday/