Merge Fata into NWFP or make it province, says HRCP

[LahoreEstate]

Monday, September 28, 2009
By Ghulam Dastageer

PESHAWAR: A recent publication of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has suggested that after consultation with the residents of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), parliament should merge Fata into the NWFP or give it an independent status as province.

It also suggested that Fata’s representation in parliament be made proportionate to its population. The publication titled ‘Recommendations on Constitutional Reforms’ is a set of suggestions, which the commission forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms, headed by Senator Raza Rabbani.

The commission stated that the contradiction of representation of Fata members in parliament was apparent as its parliamentarians could legislate on laws enforced in the rest of the country but could not do so for the very region they belonged to.

“The jurisdiction of the superior courts should be extended to Fata immediately so that people can enjoy equal rights as citizens of this country,” the commission stated, adding that the political agent’s system should be abolished and a system of governance within the Fata needs to be set up, which should work in coordination with the NWFP government.

About the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata), the HRCP said that it needed to be brought into the mainstream and the jurisdiction of courts as well as laws should be extended to it.

It also thoroughly discussed the issue of provincial autonomy and suggested that the process of transfer of power from the Centre to the provinces should start on a strong footing “but it should be staggered so that there are no serious cracks in governance.”

Regarding provincial autonomy, it suggested certain amendments in the Constitution which envisaged that the Senate should be directly elected and total membership of the Senate should not be less than one half of the total strength of the National Assembly.


http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=200430