Lawyers to protest for tribal people’s right to appeal

PESHAWAR: Lawyers from the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) on Monday announced to stage protest against the denial of the right to appeal to tribesmen in courts.

Speaking at a press conference, Fata Lawyers Forum president Ijaz Mohmand alleged that political parties were playing politics on the problems faced by people of tribal areas. He said it was injustice to deprive tribesmen of the right to appeal in the courts.

He added that Fata was the only region in the world where people lacked a proper judicial system. He deplored that people had been left at the mercy of political administration which denied their rights and arrested them under the collective responsibility section of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

He said fundamental human rights and jurisdiction of the superior courts should have been extended to Fata under article 247. He said they felt the chief justice should have taken suo moto notice on it but the issue could not grab his attention during the last one year. He said now they had moved the court for getting fundamental human rights for the tribal people.

He said in tribal areas some forces wanted to create hostilities against Pakistan Army and the chief of army staff should dispel this impression by solving the people’s problems.

He demanded President Asif Ali Zardari and the elected members to play their role in giving right of appeal to people in courts, including the high and supreme courts.

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