ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC), the country’s top civil-military body, on Saturday gave the go-ahead to the much-awaited merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The 23rd meeting of the NSC, presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, was held here at the PM House. Key ministers and all services chiefs, including Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, attended the meeting.

The NSC has met more frequently during Mr Abbasi’s tenure than during the term of his predecessor Nawaz Sharif.

Saturday’s NSC meeting, which took place hours after PM Abbasi returned from Turkey where he attended the extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on killings of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, is unprecedentedly the third in a month and the second in less than a week.

The committee expressed satisfaction over the principled stand taken by Pakistan on Kashmir and Palestine and its articulation at various world forums.

Second meeting of country’s top civil-military body in a week held hours after PM’s return from Turkey

About the Fata reforms, the prime minister apprised the NSC of his consultations with the leaders of different political parties in parliament that had reflected a broad consensus on the merger of Fata with KP.

“Weighing all the pros and cons in detail, the committee endorsed that Fata shall be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the introduction of the administrative and judicial institutional structures and laws of the province (in the tribal region),” said a statement issued after the NSC meeting.

The committee directed the ministries concerned to work out constitutional, legal and administrative modalities for the merger in consultation with all parties in parliament.

The NSC also endorsed the provision of additional well-monitored development funds for the tribal region during the next 10 years, with the stipulation that these funds would not be re-appropriated to any other area of KP.

AJK, GB reforms proposals

The NSC was also briefed on the Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan reform proposals by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sartaj Aziz.

“The committee reviewed the proposals from the perspective of their conformity with the aspirations of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the statement said.

After detailed deliberations, it added, a consensus was reached on the devolution of greater administrative authority and financial powers to the AJK and GB governments, retention of the AJK and GB councils as advisory bodies and the grant of a five-year tax holiday to GB to create adequate incentives for development of the region and bring it on a par with other areas of the country.

Also during the meeting, the interior ministry presented details of the proposals it had formulated to liberalise the visa regime, particularly for tourists and businesspersons.

Reviewing these proposals, the NSC instructed the ministry to further refine the proposals and submit them for consideration in its next meeting.

The ministry of foreign affairs briefed the committee on the regional and global security situation.

The NSC resolved that Pakistan would continue to play its role for peace and security in the region and beyond.

Participants of the meeting included Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan who also holds the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and senior civil and military officials.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2018