Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Tribal women from various agencies of FATA have expressed concern and reservations over the proposed reforms package for tribal region and demanded the immediate merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing at a news conference at press club on Thursday, Nousheen Fatima, focal person of Takrah Qabaili Khwenday (Brave tribal sisters), from Orakzai Agency said that the tribal women had adversely affected due to militancy and prolonged military operations in the tribal agencies, but they had completely ignored in reforms process, initiated by government in FATA.

She said that women also raised voice against the imposition of draconian law, Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) in the tribal region.

Commenting on the proposed FATA reforms package, she expressed serious concern over lack of representation of tribal women during reforms initiatives in Tribal Areas.

She asked the government to ensure participation of women in development process, to streamline and bring change in social fabric of tribal society. She also criticized the authorities concerned for ignoring the tribal women opinion in decision making process. Sakeena Bibi from Mohmand Agency said the women have played pivotal role with men in development of the country, and demanded of the government to give due rights to them. She opined that tribal women had rendered matchless sacrifices for establishment of peace in tribal region. She disagreed with the timeframe for merger of FATA into KP, and demanded the complete abolishment of FCR, to ensure all fundamental rights to people of FATA. Similarly, she asked the FATA should be given representation in provincial legislative assemblies, and extension of jurisdiction of superior judiciary to tribal region. Samon Masih, an minority tribal women from Landi Kotal, Khyber Agency, has raised the issue of Church in the tribal agency, and demanded of the government to construction a Chruch to perform their religious obligations efficiently.

Earlier, Shahid Shah, Convener TQK said the FATA authorities didn’t give appropriate response towards resolution of tribal women issues.