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Fata women reject govt`s reforms committee

Bureau Report 2015-11-21
PESHAWAR: The women activists from different parts of Fata on Friday rejected the committee formed by the federal government for reforms in their region saying the panel has no representation of local residents.

They called for inclusion of Fata people in the committee, especially women.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, the members of Talcra Qabailee Khawateen, a civil society organisation, said keeping Fata people away from the committee on their region`s reforms didn`t serve the purpose and that it had been done to maintain status quo on the matter.

Noted among speakers were Naheed Afridi, Shahida Shah, Ayesha Hassan, Sakina Rehman and Noor Jehan, who belonged to Khyber, North Waziristan and Mohmand agencies respectively.

They said the Fata reforms committee was headed by adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and consisted of minister for states and frontier regions Lt-Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, adviser to the PM on national security Lt-Gen (r) Nasir Khan Janjua, MNA Zahid Hamid and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, who all were irrelevant to Fata.

The speakers said the committee members were unaware of the problems faced by Fata people and therefore, those having knowledge of the region`s traditions, customs and core issues should be engaged for Fata reforms.

They also said the government should ensure the women`s inclusion in the panel.

The speakers said no reforms committee would be acceptable to Fata people until they, especially women, were given representation in it.

They urged the government to get the proposed law on 22nd Constitutional Amendment passed by parliament and ensure the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The speakers appealed to other civil society organisations, political parties and religious groups to support them in the struggle for Fata rights.

They said it was regrettable that some anti-Fata elements were using the name of Fata to serve own ends and had nothing to do for the people`s welfare.

The speakers insisted some people in the federal government didn`t want to see Fata people prosper.

They said if the government was really sincere about resolving Fata people`s issues, it should give representation to the local residents, especially two women, in the reforms committee.

The speakers also called for the execution of development schemes in Fata besides construction of a motorway-like road from Mohmand Agency to South Waziristan Agency.