FATA Committee Letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (March 19, 2013)

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Contact: [email protected] – Telephone contact below

PARTIES UNITED TO ECP: FATA ELECTIONS REFORMS NEEDED NOW

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — As the tribal areas began preparing for elections this week, 11

mainstream political parties highlighted poor implementation of the Political Parties Order

extension to FATA. 54 tribal party leaders also agreed that the security establishment, political

agents and militants are all responsible for restricting their ability to operate freely in FATA. Tribal

leaders stated that intelligence agencies regularly intimidate them and their political workers and

prevent movement in their areas.

The FATA Committee also protested that the ECP has not responded adequately to elections

recommendations submitted on December 27 and urged swift action to address their five key

concerns. Emphasizing that reforms are needed to ensure free and fair elections in FATA, the group

asked for assurances that all IDPs from FATA would be provided with access to vote. Displaced by

violent conflict, IDPs are entitled the same voting rights as all Pakistanis and the more than 600,000

displaced citizens from FATA should be provided with polling stations in camps as well as in host

communities where they now live, stated a committee spokesperson.

As analysis of the voter list shows, NADRA and the Election Commission have also failed to

increase voter registration efforts and provide adequate access to CNIC registration facilities in

FATA. Citing a severe lack of mobile NADRA van campaigns and the poor accessibility and

operation of tribal ECP offices, party leaders lamented the de facto disenfranchisement of many

FATA voters.

Denouncing corruption in the political administration, tribal political leaders reiterated their view

that judicial officers from neighboring settled districts should serve as returning officers in FATA

agencies. This recommendation has thus far been ignored as the ECP recently designated political

agents as returning officers for upcoming general elections. The body also noted that this

shortcoming will adversely impact women voters in the tribal areas.

The committee emphasized the need to keep polling stations within 2 kilometres from voter homes

in compliance with the Supreme Court order, and local party presidents added that voters should not

be assigned to polling stations outside their villages. Tribal leaders also noted that ECP provincial

and local officials have not opened direct communications with political parties in FATA as the

FATA Committee requested last year.

Some additional pressing consensus recommendations from local leaders included abolishing the

requirement for parties to inform political agents about all party gatherings, an effective ban on

“selling” party tickets for MNA seats, and an end to the practice by some maliks of selling the votes

of their people. Likewise, leaders called on the FATA elite to stop collaborating with the State to

prevent political party activity.

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 2

Calling on the ECP to monitor and enforce these regulations, FATA parties warned of the

dangerous election environment in NA-42 in South Waziristan and also asked for reassurance from

the ECP that all registration forms submitted before elections are announced will be included in the

voter list. Finally, FATA parties clearly indicated that the immediate extension of PEMRA

jurisdiction to FATA is essential for ensuring free and transparent elections in the tribal areas.

As they prepare to participate in the first party-based elections in FATA history, national and tribal

political party leaders emphasized the urgent need for elections reforms in FATA. Following the

extension of the Political Parties Order, political parties are seeking election in the tribal areas for

the first time in history. As general elections approach, political party candidates are actively

preparing their campaigns for MNA seats to represent FATA voters in the National Assembly of

Pakistan.

With complete support from political party leadership, 11 political parties are represented on the

FATA Committee: Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam F

(JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), National Party (NP), Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami

Party (PkMAP), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-

Azam (PML), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Qaumi Watan

Party (QWP).

In 2010, the Political Parties Joint Committee on FATA Reforms began working together to

demonstrate their shared commitment to promoting debate throughout Pakistan and to call for the

implementation of reforms in the tribal areas. Today, the 11 member parties of the FATA

Committee continue to engage in discussions with stakeholders from FATA to build consensus,

increase awareness and promote dialogue on existing and future reforms.

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Full Statement: March 14, 2013

Media Briefing and Recommendations to ECP

English: http://goo.gl/K0FCJ

Urdu: http://goo.gl/R2Sxc

December 27, 2012 Recommendations to ECP

English: http://goo.gl/ObTUD

Urdu: http://goo.gl/QhAA1

Photos (high resolution): Media Briefing and FATA Party Leaders Conference (March 2013)

http://goo.gl/JgLM1

FATA Committee Party Spokesperson Contacts ANP: Arbab Tahir, General Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 0333-939-3223, [email protected]

JI: Mohammad Ibrahim, Professor and Provincial Ameer, [email protected]

JUI-F: Abdul Jalil Jan, Information Secretary, KP, 0333-910-7831, [email protected]

MQM: Syed Asif Hasnain, MNA, 0300-927-7831, [email protected]

NP: Mukhtar Bacha, Provincial President, KP, 0333-910-7133, [email protected]

PkMAP: Akram Shah Khan, Central Secretary General

PML: Ajmal Khan Wazir, Central Senior Vice President, 0300-579-1779, [email protected]

PML-N: Rehmat Salam Khattak, General Secretary, KP, 0300-589-3705, [email protected]

PPP: Mirza M. Jihadi, Advisor SAFRON, 0300-598-4198, [email protected]

PTI: Barrister Salman Afridi, Political Strategy Committee KP, 0345-888-6994, [email protected]

QWP: Asad Afridi, President, FATA, 0333-937-5165, [email protected]

Complete FATA Committee member list: http://goo.gl/K0FCJ (scroll down)

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 3

53 political party leaders from 9 political parties from 7 agencies and frontier regions present 40 FATA

elections reforms recommendations for immediate implementation

Link for high resolution photo: http://goo.gl/9eUM6

11 political parties united calling on the Election Commission for further FATA elections reforms, citing

previously ignored recommendations and calls for greater freedoms by tribal party leaders

Link for high resolution photo: http://goo.gl/Gwomj

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 4

40 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FATA ELECTIONS REFORMS

From FATA Agency and Frontier Region Political Party Leaders

March 14, 2013

After recently welcoming PTI to the FATA Committee, the reforms body convened this week 54

political party leaders from the seven agencies and frontier regions of FATA to discuss the realities

of campaigning in FATA. 90 percent of these tribal leaders also indicated that the 2011 reforms to

the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) are not being implemented in their areas.

FATA political parties are currently not able to operate freely in many agencies and frontier

regions, due to the law and order situation as well as obstacles put in place by the State, including

intelligence agencies, political agents, the army, some FATA elite, as well as national and

international terrorist groups. All of these elements are working against the political participation of

FATA citizens and restrict political parties from visiting their voters.

Following deliberations in Islamabad, tribal leaders from nine of the committee’s eleven political

parties1 agreed on 40 additional consensus recommendations for free and fair elections in FATA

and the effective implementation of previously enacted FATA reforms. These recommendations

require immediate consideration and tribal party leaders demanded that many of them be enacted

before general elections. The recommendations were consensus points, approved by all tribal

political party leaders in attendance.

FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION

Highlighted and Urgent Recommendations

1) Political parties should be permitted to hold corner meetings without restrictions or advance

notice. The requirement of asking permission or notifying the PA for all meetings in advance

is not realistic and puts political parties at risk of attack. Large public gatherings or rallies

should be notified one week in advance. No permission should be required.

2) Political parties must not “sell” tickets for MNA seats. The Election Commission should

implement and enforce a ban on this anti-democratic activity.

3) Many maliks continue to sell the votes of their people for money. This practice should be

prohibited by the Election Commission and any “vote buying” activities should be punishable

by law, including the disqualification of candidates violating the regulation.

4) No political activity is taking place so far in the NA-42 constituency in South Waziristan.

The government should take swift action to ensure that free and fair elections may take place

in this constituency.

1 MQM and PTI party leaders from the agencies and frontier regions could not attend due to scheduling conflicts. Their

party leadership, however, did meet with the FATA Committee this week.

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 5

5) PEMRA jurisdiction should be extended to FATA. Access and security should also be

provided to media so that they can enter FATA freely and better cover elections and political

parties.

6) FATA elite should be stopped from working together with the State to prevent the free

operation of political activity in FATA.

7) All voter registration forms submitted prior to the announcement of elections must be

accepted and added to the voter list.

8) Public funds allocated to sitting MNAs must not be utilized for their election campaigns. The

Election Commission must enforce a ban on the use of these funds for campaign purposes.

FATA MNA and Senator funds should be used only for development schemes and should not

be misused for corrupt purposes.

FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION

Elections Recommendations for ECP and Government

9) The 2011 Political Parties Order extension and Frontier Crimes Regulation amendments are

not being implemented properly by the political administration and the security

establishment. Implementation should be monitored and enforced by the government.

10) Political parties should be given free and open access and also necessary security to travel to

and operate in FATA.

11) To ensure increased women’s participation in elections, women’s polling stations should be

provided in all agencies and frontier regions.

12) Polling stations should be no more than 2km from voters’ homes to increase political

participation in FATA.

13) Security should be ensured at all polling stations and no polling station should be shifted after

being previously established or announced.

14) FATA voters should have access to polling stations in their own village and not be forced to

travel to another village to participate in elections.

15) The political parties Code of Conduct published by the Election Commission of Pakistan

must also apply to elections in FATA.

16) The Election Commission must monitor the free and fair administration of elections in FATA.

17) The ECP should make regulations specifically for free and fair elections in FATA.

18) Judicial officers should be deployed as returning officers in general elections.

19) The political agent should support the participation of all FATA society in political activity

and the upcoming general elections.

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 6

20) All FATA IDPs should be provided the right to vote in the location of their displacement,

regardless if they are living in camps or in host communities.

21) IDPs from all frontier regions should be officially recognized by the government and also

given the right to vote in the location of their displacement.

22) FATA should also be represented in the federal cabinet of the caretaker government set-up.

23) International observers should be given permission to monitor elections in FATA.

24) The political agent must not show favoritism toward any political party candidate or any

independent candidate.

25) The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must not interfere in or influence elections in FATA.

26) All of these recommendations should be implemented and enforced immediately, prior to the

day of general elections 2013.

FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION

Elections Recommendations for Parties, Civil Society, Media and International Community

27) Political parties should include FATA democracy and FATA reforms in their national party

manifestoes for general elections.

28) Political awareness remains low throughout FATA. Government, political parties, civil

society and the international community should work together to educate FATA citizens

about the political process.

29) Many journalists are “for sale”, intimidated and pressured by the State and security

establishment. To decrease this corruption and biased reporting, more private media should

be given increased access and security in FATA.

30) The government and the Election Commission should investigate journalists who are

blackmailing political agents and/or political parties.

31) National and international media should send their own independent journalists to FATA and

ensure that they report accurately and in-depth on local problems and news in FATA.

32) The United Nations and other international organizations should make public statements

about the lack of human and political rights in FATA.

FOR IMPLEMENTATION AFTER ELECTIONS

Recommendations for the President, new National Assembly and Political Administration

33) Further amendments to the Frontier Crimes Regulation are needed.

34) Reserved MNA seats for FATA women should be established, giving them the same special

representation as in the rest of Pakistan.

March 17, 2013: Parties United to ECP: FATA Elections Reforms Needed Now 7

35) The frontier regions constituency NA-47 is too large and too spread out for effective

representation. The constituency should be divided on the basis of population.

36) Increased CNIC and voter registration efforts are sorely needed in FATA. NADRA should

deploy mobile registration vans: as many and as soon as possible.

37) Blocked CNICs of FATA citizens should be unblocked with the approval of tribal elders.

38) Corruption by political agents must be investigated and stopped. Political agent appointments

are “for sale” in FATA and this practice must be stopped.

39) Political agents should expedite the issuance of birth, death, marriage and disability certificates to

FATA citizens. These services are very poorly administered and must be improved.

40) The army is part of the problem, not part of the solution. The security establishment should

stop its involvement with terrorist and militant organizations.

These recommendations will be submitted for immediate consideration and action to the new

caretaker government as well as the President of Pakistan, the Election Commission, NADRA, the

SAFRON Ministry, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the FATA Secretariat.

Unlike the rest of Pakistan, FATA voters do not enjoy the same legislative representation or

accountability as other Pakistani citizens. This is true because Article 247 of the Constitution of the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan prevents FATA MNAs (and all members of the National Assembly)

from legislating for FATA. Despite this restriction on political rights and until the situation is

corrected, FATA citizens still deserve MNAs that represent their needs and desires for democratic

development and an improved standard of living.

Contact [email protected]

http://twitter.com/FATAparties

http://facebook.com/FATAparties

Full Statement: March 14, 2013 Media Briefing and Recommendations to ECP

English: http://goo.gl/K0FCJ

Urdu: http://goo.gl/R2Sxc

December 27, 2012 Recommendations to ECP

English: http://goo.gl/ObTUD

Urdu: http://goo.gl/QhAA1

Photos (high resolution): Media Briefing and FATA Party Leaders Conference (March 2013)

http://goo.gl/JgLM1

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