Lawmakers, Citizens Protest KP Bill Declaring Ex-FATA’s Resources Govt Property
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly passed a bill declaring all mines and minerals in former FATA as the property of the government without any debate in the house, resulting in strong protest from both lawmakers of the opposition and citizens.
The treasury passed the bill without allowing the opposition any debate on the matter. Opposition members termed the government’s move as undemocratic and lodged a protest that they were not allowed to deliberate over and exchange their viewpoints on the bill.
Member of Provincial Assembly from Waziristan Mir Kalam Wazir stated that he condemned the recent bill of the KP assembly and termed this the ‘worst’ kind of legislation which was unacceptable.
I condemn the recent bill of KP assembly that granted the ownership of resources in Tribal areas. This type of legislation is unacceptable at all. It was the worst kind of legislation and we will devise a special way to block this obnoxious tradition. #StopLootingExFATA pic.twitter.com/95FPt6ZDNA
— Mir Kalam Wazir (@KalamWazir) November 14, 2019
Former member of parliament Bushra Gohar condemned the bill and said that residents of former FATA had primary ownership rights over their resources. She said that the bill was bulldozed through Pakhtunkhwa puppet assembly to loot and plunder the merged districts’ resources.
Residents of erstwhile #FATA have primary ownership rights over their resources. Strongly condemn the Bill bulldozed through #Pakhtunkhwa #PuppetAssembly to loot & plunder merged districts resources. We won't let these shameless looters dreams come true. #StopLootingExFATA https://t.co/xEih7qth8i
— Bushra Gohar (@BushraGohar) November 14, 2019
Awami National Party National Youth Organisation Palwasha Abbas took to Twitter to state that the bill was discriminatory and that the act would be resisted, adding that there would be no compromise on the rights of militancy stricken residents of ex-FATA.
Again a discriminatory bill by govt of KP regarding the rights of resources ,mines and minerals by granting its rights to govt ,this act will be resisted ,no compromise on the rights of militancy stricken residents of ex fata #StopLootingExFATA
— Palwasha Abbas (@Palwasha_Abbas) November 14, 2019
Academic Nida Kirmani said that not only were people of ex-FATA stripped over their rights, they were also stripped of control over their resources, adding that FATA’s incorporation into KP was ‘making sense’ now.
So not only are the people of former-FATA stripped of their rights, they are also stripped of control over their resources. The incorporation of FATA into KP is making a lot more sense now. https://t.co/UtT5eyY3GA
— Nida Kirmani (@nidkirm) November 14, 2019
Former senator Farhatullah Babar said that the bulldozing of the legislation to dispossess tribals of their mineral wealth raised serious questions as to which state entity was behind this move. He added that the move strengthened the narrative that tribal areas were blockaded while the region’s wealth was plundered.
The bulldozing of legislation to dispossess tribals of mineral wealth raises serious questions as to which state entity is behind this move. It’s strengthening the narrative that tribal areas are blockaded & militant Taliban regrouping while their wealth is plundered. Debate it https://t.co/M0bSVLAPV4
— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) November 14, 2019
Meanwhile, citizens took to Twitter to condemn the bill, referring to the bill as looting to deprive people of ex-FATA of their resources. #StopLootingExFata trended on Twitter as people condemned the bill and demanded justice for erstwhile FATA’s citizens.
Bill passed to declare all ex-Fata mines and minerals govt properties.Ex-Fata has been in state of war for the last two decades. Their Business destroyed. Now looting their resources. Strongly condemn the bill and demand justice for Ex FATA inhabitants. #StopLootingExFATA pic.twitter.com/PYaktvnSpB
— Javed Wazir (@javedwzr77) November 14, 2019
A user questioned whether FATA’s merger with KP was meant to deprive people of their resources.
#FATA Mines Usurped from the People via a #Bill in Assembly.
Was the #Merger meant to Deprive people of their #Resources? Surely that was the Intention.
Bill passed to declare all ex-Fata mines and minerals govt property https://t.co/8XySuCQkwy— Mohammad Ali Talpur (@mmatalpur) November 14, 2019
People also opined that previously, their resources were being targeted by terrorists, now a bill passed in the assembly was being used to rob them of their resources.
Earlier, our resources were being looted by terrorism. And now the bill is being passed in the Assembly to rob us of our resources. We will not allow FATA resources to be robbed in any case#StopLootingFATA #StopLootingExFATA
— Ghani Armaan (@Ghani_Armaan) November 14, 2019
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