Q: FATA merger-adding a new millstone in our national integration.

How FATA merger

will help to militancy and terrorism, and how it will be beneficial for the people of FATA?

By: Imran Zahoor

Ph. D International Relations

Contact: 0321-4064707/0321-4800309

Subject: Current Affairs

FATA-Federally Administered Tribal Areas is widely considered one of the most volatile regions
in the world. It has been ruled under the 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). After the partition of
British India in 1947, the tribal areas acceded to Pakistan and the later continued with the same
colonial era isolationist special governance system. FATA remains one of the poorest regions of
Pakistan, with few prospects for residents with more than 60 percent of the FATA population below the
poverty line. The literacy rate here for men is 45 percent and just 7.8 percent for women. In the
wake of 9/11, FATA became a haven for militants of all hues and thus of major concern to the
international community. Though, recent Pakistani military operations have dislodged the Pakistani
Taliban in most parts of FATA territories, bringing relative peace to the region.

Initiative FATA Reforms

The most important development in this direction took place in December 2014 when the agenda
of FATA reforms were included in the 20-point of National Action Plan (NAP) of Pakistan.
Consequently, in 2016, a six-member committee on FATA reforms was established headed by Sartaj
Aziz. This committee proposed different proposals about FATA merger. In December 2016, an
independent survey resulted in which 74 %of FATA people supported FATA merger with KPK. In May
2018, parliament merged FATA with KPK under 25th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan. The
amendment provides for the merger of FATA with the province and extension of constitutional rights to
the tribal region through abrogation of Article 247 and amendment in Articles 1 and 246

FATA Merger-Beneficial for the people of FATA

Under the proposed reforms package, the people of FATA will get basic human and legal rights under
Pakistan’s constitution, along with robust social and economic development aid to help eradicate the
decades-long sense of alienation and deprivation among the FATA residents.

1-Business and Employment Opportunities: Reconstruction and rehabilitation activities under

the FATA reforms including construction of communication and power transmission lines,
development in health and education areas, water supply schemes will generate a lot of business
and job opportunities for the people of FATA. Subsequently, these economic opportunities
definitely will bring an economic uplift in the lives of local people.

2-Agriculture and irrigation Programs: Agriculture is a major source of income, but only 8 per
cent of FATA‟s total land is cultivated .Under the umbrella of ten years development and reform
plans, prior emphasis will be on an endorsement of agriculture and irrigation programs. After the
 completion of these mega projects, it will make certain socio-economic progress and sustainable
growth that will raise the living standard of local masses of FATA region.

3-Human Resource Development: The present era is the era of skilled human resource in
which people are being trained through different types of vocational skills. Under the FATA
reforms, a great number of vocational training institutes will be established in the FATA
region. These vocational institutes will train and equip youth of FATA with occupational skills and
enable them to earn their means independently and respectfully.

4-Establishment of Industrial Zones: When numerous industrial zones will be constructed in

the FATA region so firstly, it will generate thousand of technical and managerial jobs and
secondly, it will infuse the local and foreign direct investment. Furthermore, this region will be
connected with the “Western Route of CPEC” that eventually link FATA with the whole country
by rail and road network and it accesses to markets with other provinces.

5-Local Bodies-A means of Empowerment: Under the reform package, 30% development
budget will be utilized by local bodies in FATA. It will be a means to empower the local
community and giving them the sense of ownership so that they would perform and contribute for
enhancing the scale of their economically deserted region resourcefully. Local body system will
also break the power structure of bureaucracy in FATA and sort out the problems of locals at
their doorsteps.

6-Ownership through Capacity Building: For the ten-year development plan, government has
intended to invite international donors in FATA to assist the provincial and central government for
carrying out development projects timely. Moreover, civil society organizations will also interact
and work with local community to enhance their capacity build how to work with a large number
of outside actors and learn from their expertise and take responsibility with ownership after
leaving them.

7-Exploration of Mineral Resources: There are a number of valuable minerals as copper, coal,
limestone, chromite, lead, barite, soapstone, gypsum, marble, dolomite, emerald, and
manganese are found in FATA. These sources of useful minerals have not been properly
explored, in part because of the government’s disregard of the region and in part because of
ongoing violence and militancy. These natural resources can be exploited for the betterment of
the region FATA.

8- Enhance Legal trade with Afghan: Economic activities in FATA will increase the volume of
bilateral and legal trade with Afghan cities across the border due to better border monitoring
and regional stability. And increased trade activity may put an end to conflicts between Pakistan
and Afghanistan. It will lead economic prosperity in the region and local people of FATA will be
the most recipient from it.

FATA Merger-End of Militancy and Terrorism

The FATA has been a flashpoint since 2001, when hundreds of militants, including al-Qaeda fighters took
shelter after the end of Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Therefore, the presence of FATA shortly became
a sanctuary for all types of militants including both local Pakistani militants and those from outside
Pakistan, primarily Afghans, Arabs, and Uzbeks. FATA merger will facilitate to get rid of the terrorism and
militancy in the region. Following points elaborate how the merger will bury the terrorism and militancy in
FATA:
  Firstly, the merger will make possible to repay deprived tribesmen of their basic and
constitutional rights and will also heal their wounds of deprivations and repression for a long
time and particular cost of human loss and collateral damage which the FATA people have paid
in the war on terror since 2001.

 Secondly, the merger will uplift social and political awareness and with the political and legal
development which will streamline the people towards economic activities. As a result, the youth
of FATA will detach themselves from terrorists and put their effort for the betterment of their
region.

 Thirdly, FATA merger will enable Pakistan to settle its border dispute and make better security
arrangements with Afghanistan. Pragmatically, it will restrain the cross movement of terrorists
and criminal activities such as illegal trade, drugs trafficking and arms smuggling along the
Duran Line. Resultantly, stability will be made certain in the FATA region, afterward there will be
meager chances for the terrorist to reorganize and operate themselves in the FATA region easily.

 Fourthly, under reform package twenty thousand new recruits will be hired to strengthen the
levies forces and the role of various law enforcements bodies will be helpful to make better
overall security environment that will diminish the terrorist movement and their activities in FATA
region.

According to Dr. Rasul Baksh Rais, (Head of Political Science Department in LUMS)

The level of violence that FATA has experienced was the result of the lack
of development, a dead economy, non-legislated spaces, soaring
unemployment, and isolated opportunities in the terms of education and
health. These entire conditions always appealed the terrorists to use the
local people for terrorist activities.

 Fifthly, economic reform and incentives will generate job opportunities and uplift the business
activities for locals who have been the major victims and tools of militancy and terrorism. The
federal government will spend Rs.100 billion annually in FATA for coming ten years. A
transparent and strong governance structure and constitutional supremacy in FATA region will
isolate the radical groups’ presence and their influence in the region.

Conclusion

The FATA merger indicates not only the determination on part of Pakistan political and military
leadership but also the capacity of the country institutions to deliver. Optimistically, it appears that the
dream of FATA mainstreaming would become a reality. Optimism apart, this exercise is not without
challenges, particularly security threats and Pakistan poor record in policy implementation. The merger
will help fruitfully to eliminate the extremism and militancy from their roots. Effective implementation of the
five-year transition plan and the ten-year socioeconomic development plan will surely socio-economic
landscape of FATA.

According to Joshua White,

With the unreliable system of justice and lack of full political
representation, the tribal areas had become an embarrassment to country
leadership. But in moving to reforms the tribal areas, here political
leadership should be highly appreciated for taking a bold step to remedy a
history of long breach of collective rights of FATA people.