The U.S. never allowed its citizens to work for foreign spy agencies – by Shiraz Paracha: A heated debate over the sentence of Dr. Shakeel Afridi continues, to some he is a hero, others see him as a traitor. Dr. Afridi, in his mid forties, belongs to Malik-deen-Khail branch of Khyber Agency’s Afridi tribe. His second

Another Promise Fulfilled – FATA population gets political rights: While the right wing and biased media continues to focus their attention against the PPP government on issues like the commissionerate system in Sindh and the usual banter of “krupshion and bad guvernunce”, the PPP government under its leadership

Political agent torturing students – By Farhat Taj: It has been almost ten months now. The political agent (PA) of Khyber in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has subjected 13 students from the Government Degree College, Jamrud, Khyber Agency to acute mental torture. The students’ representative,

Do not squeeze the tribesmen anymore —Daud Khattak: There is a Pashto proverb: ‘Oba pa kamzori zai mateegee’ (water makes its course on the weaker bank). It is happening in Waziristan now as the political administration is forcing the displaced Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen to hand over the

FATA, overlooked, ignored – by Riaz Toori: First published in Express Tribune Blogs Sixty three years have gone by but Pakistan could neither bring FATA in the mainstream of the country, politically or constitutionally nor improved the life of common man there. Twenty first century’s innovations,

Muttahida Kabail Party: United Tribal party is formed in FATA and they are demanding a separate province consisting of all Pashtun tribal agencies. Mutthida Kabail Party’s manifesto states,” MKP will work for 1. Peace 2. Basic Rights 3. Progress”. Earlier LUBP posted a article

Several perspectives on the FCR and FATA reform: It might be worthwhile to read two differing perspectives on the FCR and the FATA reform in order to come to an informed conclusion on a complicated issue that the government is likely to be dealing with in the

FCR in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: What to do with FCR? Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had declared last April that he would like to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the Tribal Areas because it was “a barbaric colonial-era law that had ruled

Modifying the FCR in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: A Long Term Strategy to Fight Terrorism: “WE cannot rein wild horses with silken braids,” wrote John William Kaye, secretary of the political and secret department of the India Office, justifying the special set of laws he helped draft to control the unruly tribesmen of Fata.