Bill for courts' extension to Fata hailed

Workers of various political parties, students' leaders and social activists in Bajaur Agency on Saturday welcomed the passage of a bill by the Senate to extend the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and termed the move a great achievement for the tribesmen to get their basic rights.
Fata Youth Organization (FYO) president Shaukat Aziz told media that the move would start a new era of development and prosperity in the tribal areas.
He said that extension of jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to the tribal areas was the long standing demand of every tribesmen as extension of country's superior courts vital to protect their basic human rights.
The JI Fata chapter public relations president Sirajuddin Khan said the passage of the Supreme Court and High Court Extension of Jurisdiction to Fata Bill 2017 by the Upper House of Parliament was the victory of tribesmen.
He told that though different political parties and organizations have played their role to pass the bill in the Senate, however, he claimed that the credit goes to the JI leadership who played a significant role to force the government to table the bill by arranging various protests and public meetings.
Senior human rights activist Habibul Hasan Yad also praised the Senate for approving this bill.
He told that extension of the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to the Fata was not only vital to ensure basic rights to the tribesmen, but also necessary for the socio-economic development of tribal areas.
He asked the government to merge Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the upcoming general elections.
Fata Students organization vice president Misbahuddin while commenting on the move said that the bill passed by the Senate was in line with the long standing demands of tribesmen, who had been deprived of their basic rights since along.
He said the legislation would not only help ensure provision of basic rights to over six million tribesmen but also decrease the "unlimited powers" held by political agents in tribal areas.
Senior vice president of Fata Youth Organization Usman Mamoundzai while talking to this correspondent has termed the passage of the bill by the Senate a truly historical step in the history of tribal areas to ensure country's superior judiciary to the tribesmen.