Rewaj Regulations: Fata Alliance vows not to accept any unconstitutional clause

FATA Political Alliance has vowed not to accept any clause in Rewaj Regulations that is repugnant to the Constitution of Pakistan and called for the amendment in the Articles 1 and 246 and complete abolition of the Article 247 of the Constitution.
The meeting of the FATA Political Alliance held here with its president, Sardar Khan in the chair was attended by lawyers, journalists, women, students, doctors, traders, representatives of political parties and tribal elders.
The alliance conducted phase-wise review of all 24 points of FATA reforms approved by the federal cabinet and approved 14 points and called for their implementation in tribal areas with immediate effect; while amendments were demanded in the remaining 10 points.
The participants of the meeting bitterly criticised the Governor's FATA Secretariat and alleged that it is financially supporting some vested interests for creating hurdles in the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These funds, the alliance said instead of spending on the welfare of tribesmen is going into the packet of few tribal Maliks, which is illegal and immoral act. The participants demanded of the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for taking notice of such conspiracies of FATA Secretariat, otherwise, they warned of protest by the tribesmen.
The meeting decided that the FATA Merger Committee will hold meetings with the leadership of all political parties and parliamentary leaders and will give their proposals for the removal of confusion in some points of FATA reforms, so they could be included in the bill during legislation by the parliament.
The participants of the meeting also demanded that instead of 3% share in National Finance Commission, FATA should be given 6% share as the fund is peanuts as compared to destructions in FATA. They said that instead of strengthening FATA Secretariat its powers and authorities should be handed over to provincial government and the transition period of the merger should be completed before the general elections of 2018.
The participants demanded at least 40 seats in the provincial assembly in 2018 elections, which should elect under the constitution and law through popular votes and empower to use all powers. They also demanded the transparent audit of all FATA departments through the Auditor General of Pakistan and hand over of FATA funds from Finance Division Islamabad to Finance Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and empowering it to utilise them in tribal areas.
The meeting decided 100 percent increase in the quota of FATA students and its implementation from the current year of 2017. Furthermore, they should be given special scholarships for getting higher education in national and foreign institutions to bring the students of the backward areas of FATA at par with other parts of the country. The participants of the meeting also demanded the exemption of FATA from all kind of taxes for a period of 50 years.