Daily Urdu media briefing – Thursday 3 Februrary 2011

Saleem Safi's Jirga on Geo News

Detailed Discussion on Tribal Issues

Guests
Haji Munir Khan Orakzai Leader of National Assembly Members from FATA
Hafiz Rashid Ahmad Senator, Mohmand Agency
Muhammad Kamran Khan Member of National Assembly, North Waziristan
Ibrahim Shinwari Former President, Tribal Union of Journalists
Habib Orakzai Chairman, United Tribal Party
Safdar Dawar Chairman, Tribal Union of Journalists
Qismat Khan Wazir North Waziristan

Safi: Please describe briefly the current situation in the Tribal Areas.
Shinwari: There is no doubt that the security situation in is currently the main issue for the tribal people, and,
unless this issues is solved, any further discussion is meaningless. The Parliamentarians have not
fulfilled the expectations of the tribes. The 18th Amendment was a golden opportunity to reform
FATA, but the issue was not raised at all.
Safi: The current situation is certainly a challenge, but it is also said that it is an opportunity for the tribal
people. Why have you not been able to address the grievances of the tribes in any way?
Kamran: It is true that we are members of this coalition, but as representatives of FATA we are unable to
carry out any reforms or introduce any bills.
Safi: I agree, you have no direct power, but if you look at the ratio of ministries, then FATA has two
federal ministries. It is true that even such a powerful coalition member as MQM was not able to
have its way on many issues important for them, but the FATA politicians have had a number of
opportunities for bargaining. You had so many opportunities to demand a change to the system,
but yet you have remained with the government.
Rashid: Our demand is an independent province or at least an independent FATA Council. Even though we
are with the government, we understand that it is somebody else that has the real power.
Safi: Then on what basis do you participate in this government?
Rashid: Please tell me who is not in the government these days. PML-N is in the government, the MQM is in
the government. Everyone is. I would like to state in this program that as much as the ruling
classes have not fulfilled the demands of the tribal people, the tribes have committed some
mistakes as well. They are after money as well, some sell it for a thousand, some for more.

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Safi: You were an MNA, you are a senator. Have you paid for your votes as well?
Rashid: Not at all. That's out of question. That was the MMA period, nobody gave a penny to anyone. It
was our rivals. And it happened later.
Habib Orakzai: All the tribal representatives have been able to bargain huge concessions from both Zardari and
Musharraf for their private gain. I am not going to go into details, but it is not a secret who got a
villa, who got a package of foreign or domestic aid.
Safi: But if people have to be paid to vote, then shouldn't it be the right of the elected politicians to get
their money back?
Habib Orakzai: These things should be discussed openly: particular people are installed there and thousands of
fake votes are produced. I can show you evidence.
Haji Munir: I have always said that the tribes are being kept in the backward state according to a special plan.
Some foreign countries and especially some big players within Pakistan have a stake in it. It
includes all the political forces in the country: the president, the prime minister, the army. But when
we got elected, the budget for entire FATA was PKR 1.2bn, now it is PKR 15bn.
Dawar: I wish this jirga took place in the Tribal Areas, so that we could see the reaction of the tribes
themselves. We have been seeing the numbers in press releases, but if you weigh the money
coming in against the deaths of innocent children and the plight of the refugees, they do not
amount to a drop in the ocean. The MNAs should think at least for five seconds about the situation
in their constituencies: health and education are completely ruined, there's curfew during the day
and drone attacks during the night. The tribesmen would be ready to sell all their belongings and
return all the funding – if they could only be returned to the situation from 2002. There was peace
and education was functioning.
Safi: If during the tenure of the current government we moved backwards in all the three issues that
you all agree are the most important – peace, development and administrative reform – and you
are still all supporting the government, then it perhaps means that you are gaining some other
benefits from sticking to the coalition?
Kamran: Members of the current National Assembly were the first ones to speak out against the Frontier
Crimes and Regulations. Zardari announced it would be reformed on the 14 August 2009, a
committee was formed, a lot of work was done, but the Army stopped it. We know as much as we
have been told by the PM and the president. In order to bring reform to FATA people will have to
raise up and the media will have to play their part as well.
Shinwari: Today, Landi Kotal is inaccessible for me as a journalist. My ancestral home is there, my relatives
live there, but, similarly to these politicians sitting here next to me, the place for me is out of limits.
What is the benefit of having a representative who cannot even visit his constituency?
Safi: Even you cannot travel to your area, Mr Munir?
Haji Munir: No.
Dawar: We have lost eight of our journalists. I could show you dozens of examples of tribal journalists
wounded in Wana, in North Waziristan, journalists whose relatives have received threats...
Qismat Khan: I have hundreds of tribesmen as witnesses. I have been in touch with Mr Kamran and then twice
with Mr Munir. Munir was the main operator when it comes to the issue of paying up tribes for
votes and selling their votes in the assemblies. The price of a Senate seat is PKR 150m. I have
hundreds of Muslims, tribesmen and Pashtuns who are ready to come on your program and putting

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 their hands on the Quran swear that they have witnessed such deals in the FATA.
Habib Orakzai: Mr Munir, how come that there were six senators from Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in 2002 and you
managed to win the subsequent election? Have you bought the MMA? If you're such a skilled
politician, why can't you get province status for FATA?
Safi: Isn't all this a product of the oppressive system where the common man's vote does not count? To
wrap up, please tell me one by one what are your demands for the future of FATA?
Dawar: In my opinion we need an elected and independent council for all of the FATA. Whether there has
to be a separate province or inclusion in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, first a road has to be paved
towards that. We definitely want political parties to be active in the FATA.
Habib Orakzai: I definitely agree that Parties Act has to be extended to the FATA, but our priority is a separate
province. It would definitely be sustainable and would first of all stop the fighting between different
parts of the FATA.
Shinwari: The Tribal Areas do need to have a political status, the Political Parties Act needs to be extended
there immediately. Amending the FCR could also solve a lot of problems.
Kamran: The demand of the tribes is a separate province. If that is not possible then FATA Council.
Rashid: I do not think that there are any real hindrances to create a separate province, in reality we do
already have everything separate. But still, if creating a separate province is not doable, then the
system definitely needs to be amended.
Safi: So, who is standing in the way of the reform is everyone seems to agree on what should happen?
Haji Munir: More less all our MNAs agree that the currents system is unworkable. What we think is needed is a
fully elected council, which should be allowed to work for four to five years in order to prepare the
legislation. Subsequently, there should be a referendum whether to join KPK or create a separate
province. The main responsibility for the change lies with the big political parties.
Safi: Dear viewers, after watching this program you will have certainly understood that the root of all the
evil is the current outdated system, which also creates opportunities for corruption. Everyone
knows that these unfortunate areas were the battleground between Britain and the Tsarist Russia,
later became the battlefield for the US-Soviet war and now are the scene for the war between Al-
Qaeda and America and whatever other warring factions. Elephants come here from different
countries and the local tribal people, who are very proud, but also naïve, uneducated and simple,
are crushed in these battles like frogs. You will also have heard that billions of dollars designated
for the tribal people keep coming. These are frontline areas of a frontline state. But the aid which
this frontline state receives from the outside world does not reach those areas. There are different
views of the particular shape of the reform, but everyone agrees that the outdated system needs to
go. But, obviously, all of this will be possible only when there is peace and the game between world
powers and regional powers taking place in those areas comes to an end and when the local
representatives recognise their responsibilities, guide their people and turn them into Pakistanis.

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Current MNAs from FATA
Malik Bilal Khan Mohmand Agency
Sajid HussainTori Kurram Agency
Munir Orakzai Orakzai Agency
Javad Hussain Orakzai Agency
Kamran Khan North Waziristan
Abdul Malik Wazir South Waziristan
Seat No. 42 empty South Waziristan
Shaukatullah Bajaur Agency
Akhunzada Chatan Bajaur Agency
Nur Ul-Haq Qadri Khyber Agency
Hamidullah Jan Afridi Khyber Agency
Zafar Beg Bhittani Tank

Current ministers from FATA

Hamidullah Jan Afridi Environment
Nur Ul-Haq Qadri Zakar and Ushr

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