No contract to FWO, NLC without tenders: SAFRON minister

ISLAMABAD: States and Frontier Regions Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch assured the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday that no contract would be awarded to the military-run Frontier Works Organization and National Logistics Cell in FATA without an open tender. 

Baloch, a retired Lt Gen, was referring to Senator Farhatullah Babar's claim that the government has instructed the FATA administration to blacklist civilian contractors from carrying out development work in the area. 

Speaking in the Senate during a full-house discussion on FATA reforms, Babar, who hails from the Pakistan Peoples Party, said the tribal areas should not be further turned into a military zone. 

Referring to a letter regarding development work in the tribal areas, he said it states that civilian contractors should be blacklisted. He said FATA has work opportunities worth billions of rupees.  

Baloch said that the appointment of a grade-20 chief operating officer (COO) to implement the reforms has been approved. "The implementation of the reforms will start as soon as the COO is appointed," he informed the Senate. The COO will work under the governor, he said, adding that the army chief had proposed a civilian officer for the COO post.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said no one has reservations about the army’s role against terrorism, adding that in the past civilian governments have been interrupted by the military. 

"When it comes to governance, transparency, and Constitution then the army’s job is to secure the borders," said Rabbani. 

"Is the government ready to amend rules regarding the COO that no army officer will hold the post," he questioned. 

The Senate chairman said the committee proposes that instead of the Islamabad High Court's, the Peshawar High Court's jurisdiction should be extended to FATA.

Baloch informed the committee they are bringing a wholesome law to replace the Frontier Crimes Regulation. "The government is taking back the Rewaj Act [proposed in FATA Reforms Bill] after reservations against it were aired by the Senate members," the minister remarked.

The News reported on Tuesday that the Senate Committee on Safron on Monday took strong exception to recent directions to political agents to decline giving contracts to civilian contractors in the name of criminal and anti-state activities without recourse to legal procedure.

The issue came up in the meeting of the committee when special invitee Senator Babar pointed to an August 2016 letter of the 45th Army Engineers Division based in Peshawar conveying the instructions.