Fata’s future
AFTER the events that have transpired in both the federally and provincially administered tribal areas since 2001, the region has become a focus of attention both within and outside Pakistan. The local and foreign media, strategic thinkers, writers, political parties of Pakistan and foreign governments have evinced an interest in the tribal region, which was otherwise a dark swathe of land lying in the shadows.

It was variously referred to as the badlands, the ungoverned area of Pakistan, and the most dangerous place in the world. In the midst of the convulsions taking place there, it was recognised that much of regional if not world peace hinged on a secure Fata. After untold suffering, loss of hearths and homes, loss of livelihood and the ignominy of living in squalid camps or being thrown at the mercy of relatives and friends for shelter, the slumbering tribal mind has woken up to think afresh. The government of Pakistan has been the last to take stock.

A half-hearted attempt was made by the KP governor. He appointed a committee, headed by a bureaucrat, to suggest measures for reforms. The attempt proved a non-starter. A private bill, Constitution (Twenty-Second Amendment) Act, 2015, has been tabled by a few tribal MNAs to merge Fata with Pata. This is significant.

The bill has yet to pass through many stages. In the latest development, on Nov 8, 2015, the prime minister appointed a five-member committee headed by Sartaj Aziz, adviser on foreign affairs. Other committee members include Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch, National Security Adviser Nasir Khan Janjua, Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid and KP Governor Sardar Mehtab Khan.

Input from KP in Fata’s future shape is necessary.
This is the highest committee on the subject so far. The committee is “to start working with immediate effect and after consulting all stakeholders propose a concrete way forward for the political mainstreaming of Fata areas”.

Constitutionally, Fata falls squarely under the purview of the president. It would have been appropriate if the initiative to form the above committee had come from the president, unless it has something to do with the internal arrangements between the prime minister and the president, in which case the latter has agreed to rubber-stamp anything the former does on his behalf. We have a tradition of rubber-stamping presidents.

Representation of the KP government on the committee should not have been ignored. Fata and KP are like Siamese twins. Their law and order is intertwined. Input from KP in what will be the future shape of Fata is necessary to ensure harmony between the two. One may think that the KP governor represents both the province and Fata. Keeping the past in view, Fata was always the foremost concern of governors whenever there were representative governments in the province.

Sartaj Aziz is reported to have said that consultation with tribal parliamentarians has been done and jirgas will be convened in two tribal agencies first, to be replicated in other agencies later. Yet senators Saleh Shah and Aurangzeb Khan have said they had not been consulted. Maybe some parliamentarians were consulted, but not all. The committee should avoid preferential treatment as this will make its job difficult.

It is difficult to foretell what the committee will hear from the various jirgas. It is, however, not difficult to predict that there would be no unanimity of views from the tribal side. The solution suggested is to hold a referendum on whether to join KP, form a separate province, be part of Pata or leave the present set-up in place with some improvements.

Referendums are meant for a developed, informed citizenry, which can understand the issues well. If a referendum is opted for, then an exhaustive education process should be undertaken first, to explain what each option would mean to an ordinary tribal person. Without such an exercise uneducated people, who constitute the majority of Fata, are bound to make the wrong choice.

The committee will do a great disservice to the people of Fata if, faced with divisive, complicated choices, the members try to unleash their own imagination and present what they believe is good for the region. None of the committee members — including the KP governor — have thorough grounding in tribal life. Retired Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch has a tribal background, but of a different sort. Except for the chairman the others do not even speak their language. If at all the committee is compelled to propose their own solution, then it should be placed before the tribal people before it becomes the final recommendation.

Fata is at a crossroads. If this first attempt proves inconclusive, we should try again till we reach a way forward for the political streamlining of Fata, which may serve us for another 100 years.

The writer is a former federal secretary.

raufkkhattak@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2016