KHYBER AGENCY: Like elsewhere in the tribal belt, a black day was observed on Thursday against delaying tactics of abolishment of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and implementation of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) reforms.
In this connection, a rally was organised in Landi Kotal bazaar under the auspices of Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Khyber Agency chapter that was attended by a large number of tribesmen besides scores of JI leaders and workers.
The protesters tied black ribbons around their hands, holding banners inscribed with slogans like “Go FCR go” and “FCR is unacceptable”. Speaking to the crowd, JI Khyber Agency Ameer Shah Faisal Afridi said that since the creation of Pakistan, the tribesmen had been subjected to the draconian law, FCR and the ruling class had never strived sincerely to eliminate the British era’s black law. He came hard on bureaucracy and said it wanted to maintain the status quo in the tribal belt as it had become a source of illicit income for it.
Afridi said, “Our forefathers have won Pakistan in the name of Islam where Shariah would be a supreme law and basic right of every citizen would be available but ironically, the rulers have made it a hub of corruption.” He demanded the immediate elimination of FCR and merging FATA with.
JI FATA Ameer Zernoor Afridi and JI General Secretary Khyber Haji Muhammad Hasan also spoke on the occasion. The protesters warned that on Feb 26 and 27, a sit-in of tribesmen would be initiated in front of Governor House Peshawar to record their grievances.
