ISLAMABAD: The residents of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have been waiting for democracy for the last over 67 years but they are still being governed through a remote control.

The government should immediately introduce the local government system in Fata because only that is how peace can be ensured there.These were the main points of a study report, “Local government in Fata: past failures, current challenges and future prospects” launched by a think-tank - Fata Research Centre (FRC) - at a local hotel on Tuesday.

The report was based on surveys, interviews and roundtables with different stakeholders, including people of Fata, political and legal experts, mediapersons and government officials.

The report recommended that a timeframe for the local government election in Fata should be given. Issues of Fata cannot be resolved without devolution of power.

The Jirga system should be strengthened as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

The local government system should be financially stable and elections should be held on party basis.

The report stressed that the participation of women in the local government system should be ensured and 33 per cent seats should be reserved for them.

The media coverage of the election should also be ensured.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Qadir Baloch said the findings of the report showed that the people of Fata were politically aware and wanted to participate in the affairs of the state through the democratically elected bodies.

“We haven’t yet decided about the date of conducting local government elections in Pakistan.”

However, he added, the government was determined to introducing the local government system in Fata quite earlier than the LG elections in the country.”

Senator Farhatullah Babar said participatory development was possible only when powers were delegated on the lower level.

He agreed with the findings of the report that only delegation of powers from top to bottom could break the status quo in Fata and put the war-ravaged region on track to progress and prosperity.

“There are some elements who do not want the local government elections in Fata and that is why they link the elections with security. However, I believe that security will be ensured if powers are given to the local people,” he said.

Senior journalist from Fata, Ibrahim Shinwari, said the tribal people had been demanding delegation of powers from political administration.

“I believe that with the introduction of local government system in Fata, enormous powers of political agents will be curtailed that will, in the end, benefit the people of Fata,” he added.

President FRC Dr Ashraf Ali said extension of local government system to Fata can be a right step towards the mainstreaming of the area.