It took over a century to finally bring the formerly tribal region or FATA into the mainstream with pledges to focus exclusively on the uplifting of the region, but the ground realities are reflecting an opposite picture.
The pledges seem to remain hollow slogans as frustration is rising in the people of the region as the policy-makers are not acting on what they claimed when the formerly Federal Tribal Area or FATA was merged into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Post-Merger Scenario and Tribal Region
A 10-Year Socioeconomic Development Plan was devised to provide approximately Rs 110 billion fund annually for the development of merged tribal districts and sub-districts. Erstwhile FATA, consisted of 6 tribal agencies and 7 semi-tribal frontier regions, was merged into KP province through 25th constitutional amendment in 2018.
The merger plan was approved with a little political and tribal opposition with a hope that the region could be developed well, and there could be peace in the region. The bordering tribal districts were worst hit by local as well as international terrorism in the last two decades, where peace and development seem a hope.
As per the post-merger development plan, exclusive funds of 1000 billion rupees would be provided to the ex-FATA region for 10 years with the provision of an additional 3 percent share under the National Finance Commission Award. However, there is too little or no progress on the pledged funds.
Reports say only 103 billion rupees of funds have been released under the socio-economic development plan in the last 5 years. The prevailing economic scenario and some political differences are said to be the reasons behind the issue. The political leadership that once agreed on the share in the last NFC Award are now backtracking from their commitments.
Dr Ashraf Ali, an expert on the region and security, told The WeNews, “Ex Fata districts need special attention to revive life and establish peace in the region. The lack of interest on the government part is causing frustration in the people.”
Development of Tribal Districts
Funds are needed for the development of the tribal districts, but more money to implement the administrative reforms. A number of projects are underway, including police reforms, digitalization of land revenue records and the establishing of the judiciary. “How to implement the development plan and reforms when the tribal districts are facing shortage of funds for meeting day-to-day expenses and even salaries,” one official, privy to the development, said, requesting not to mention his name.
Under the police reforms, the government is working on the transforming the former tribal levies force into police with an estimated number of 27-28000 across the region. However, the tribal police proper training to maintain law and order in the region. They also need weapons and equipment.
The service structure of the police is also a difficult task. The tribal levies and Khasadar force inducted into regular police of the KP province need training to know the process of prosecution and registration of FIRs.
The region that had been run through the British era law of Frontier Crimes Regulation and local tribal Jirga or council for over a century, and it will take years to accustom the local people with the laws of the land after the merger.
Critics of the erstwhile Fata merger into KP are now campaigning against the said plan, terming it a futile exercise. There are a number of reasons to attribute to the unrest and panic in the inhabitants of the tribal districts, however, shortage of funds, economic slowdown, lack of will and inefficiency are seen as hurdles in the way of implementing the post-merger plan.
Every political party, except Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman led Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Mahmood Khan Achakzai-led Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and some tribal elders, supported the mainstreaming of the Fata.
However, Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf took power in Islamabad and Peshawar just after the merger of Fata into KP, but it could not carry forward the post-development plan. There was relatively peace in the KP in general and tribal districts in the particular in the first 3 years of the merger (2018-21).
Senior politician and former finance minister Srtaj Aziz headed a committee during 2013-18 and the merger approval was made based on his comprehensive report by the then government of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz. After years of consultations with all the political leaders and tribal elders, the report was approved. The report recommended political reforms, provincial assembly seats and the local-government were introduced for the first time in the tribal districts.
Despite some gains in the reforms, the erstwhile Fata had lost some seats in the national assembly and also in the Senate of Pakistan. Earlier, 12 seats of NA were reserved for ex-Fata that were reduced to 6 as per the latest census, and the 8 seats of the Senate were also abolished. The people of the tribal districts were unhappy over the loss of their representation in the parliament.
The people are raising the questions now that what have the people of tribal districts gained or lost with this merger plan. A sizeable number of tribal districts are yet to be returned to their native areas as displaced in operations. There is also little or no economic opportunities and employment that also forced some of people to move to other parts of the country, or abroad for supporting their families.
However, with the changing scenario in the region by the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, terrorist incidents risen. Pakistan has been repeatedly insisting that the Afghan Taliban should keep its promises, it made in the Doha Peace Accord, not to allow its land to be used against other countries. The Taliban is denying the claims. The cross-border terrorist incidents have brought both the neighbouring countries at odd.
Analysts believe the PTI government’s policy of initiating peace negotiations with the Pakistani militants, reportedly based in the bordering region on the Afghan side, is seen another reason of returning of the militants back to Pakistan.
The rising incidents of cross-border terrorism are a challenge for the security forces and people of the region, but that should not be taken as an excuse to affect the socioeconomic development of the region, as they have attached high hopes to see the region at par with other parts of the country.
