Federal government to solve the problems of FATA:APC demands

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hasan, has stressed upon the federal government to solve the problems of FATA with the cooperation of the Khyber P. government and immediately begin talks with Taliban for the restoration of peace in the area.

He was addressing a joint press conference along with a 25 member FATA Reforms Committee comprising representatives of ten parties, that called on him at Mansoora on Thursday. The committee included representatives of the PML(N), PTI, PPP, ANP, JUI. JUP and Qaumi Watan Party, and was led by JI’ senior leader Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.

Earlier, the committee had a detailed meeting with the JI Ameer and JI Secretary General, Liaqat Baloch and apprised them of the peoples of FATA and suggested several reforms.

Syed Munawar Hasan told media men that the people of FATA had offered everlasting sacrifices for the country and the nation but unfortunately, none of the past governments had given due importance to the area and its people were still without basic human rights.

He called for holding local government elections in FATA, ending military operation and  providing the media free access to the area.  He said that FATA badly needed peace as no country or society could progress in a state of anarchy and chaos.

He said there was no other way to get rid of terrorism and restore peace except through dialogue, and the federal and the provincial governments should jointly search a  way out of the present crisis.

He said the government had never been serious for talks with Taliban because of the US pressure.  The government had missed a golden opportunity for peace by failing to implement the decisions of the APC. However, if the government so desired, the talks could begin even now, and added  that the use of force never helped resolve the issues as Pakistan had a bitter experience in this regard,  especially in the case of East Pakistan. He said the fifth military operation was going on in  Balochistan but the situation was getting worse with every passing day. In Karachi,  the second operation was going on but dozens of citizens were being killed in target killings.

The JI Ameer stressed that the people of FATA should be granted civic rights as in the other parts of the country. A comprehensive relief package should be announced for FATA as in the case of Balochistan and due compensation should be made to those who had suffered in the military operation.

Institutions of Education and health should be reopened and necessary steps be taken for provision of employment and the development of basic infrastructure.

Syed Munawar Hasan impressed upon the leaders of major parties to stress upon their party leadership to exercise their influence for necessary reforms in FATA .

The JI Ameer pointed out that it was the brave people of FATA who had liberated the Azad Kashmir and they planned to advance to Sri Nagar when Indian Prime Minister Pandit Nehru approached the United Nations and promised plebiscite in Kashmir, but subsequently India went back on its words.

On the occasion, Prof. Ibrahim Khan placed before the media the demands of the joint committee of all the political parties. These included restoration of peace in FATA, amendment in the article 247 of the constitution and local bodies elections in the area,  giving FATA people the right to decide the future of area, making the JIRGA system independent and democratic, the bifurcation of the judiciary and the executive in FATA, abolition of the Action in aid of Civil Power regulation, extension of the Inheritance Act to FATA, and further strengthening the Khasadar and Levies and making them more professional.