Islamabad, August 13(ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has signed amendments made to the century-old Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) that will give the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) people the right to appeal against decisions of the political agent for the first time.
Always considered a black law, the FCR was devised by British colonialists in 1848 as an instrument of subjugation meant to discipline the Pakhtun population and establish the writ of colonial authority.
Innocent men, women and children become victims of the draconian regulations, under which people were sentenced to jail for the alleged crimes committed by their father, uncle or any of their blood relatives.
The amendments envisage setting up of a three-member FATA tribunal, which will exercise the powers of revision against orders/judgments of an appellate authority having powers similar to a High Court under Article 199 of the Constitution - a provision dealt with the jurisdiction of the High Court, the Dawn reports.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jehangir welcomed the reforms and said it was a gift on the eve of Independence Day for the people of FATA as well as for the rest of the people in the country.
Jehangir, former head the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was confident that the jurisdiction of an ordinary high court would be extended to FATA, but said the collective punishment in every form should be abolished.
HRCP Director I.A. Rehman said that the reforms had some nice features, but were still short of expectations. (ANI)
|
|
Read More: Ali
Comments:
