IN most of the rest of Pakistan, Fata is viewed as a rugged no-man’s land populated by hardy tribesmen. The tribal region has also attracted negative attention for playing host to an array of militant actors, many of whom have declared war on the state. But often lost amongst these one-dimensional descriptions is the fact that the people of Fata do not enjoy the same rights as the rest of the country and are governed under a largely colonial regime. Yet calls for ‘reform’ in the tribal areas are getting louder and more frequent. On Thursday, senators from various parties in a special committee meeting criticised successive governments as well as the military establishment for failing to bring the tribal belt into the mainstream. During the proceedings, Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch put forward three options for Fata’s future: maintain the status quo and introduce a few legal changes; merge the region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; or make it a separate province. Some months earlier, tribal MNAs had also called for merger with KP and rechristening Fata as a Provincially Administered Tribal Area.

Whether Fata is merged with KP or made into a separate province, two things must be considered: the changes should be well-thought-out and they cannot be put off indefinitely. After all, Fata’s situation is not like Gilgit-Baltistan or Azad Kashmir — ie linked to a future cross-border settlement — and can be resolved relatively easily. What is essential is that Fata’s MNAs, the national parliament as well as the KP Assembly work in tandem to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to the tribal population. Central to the final settlement should be the extension of the Constitution and fundamental rights, as well as Pakistan’s judicial system, to the region. Moreover, the changes ought not to be merely cosmetic; the region needs the education, health and economic infrastructure that can help bring it on a par with the rest of Pakistan. Yet those familiar with tribal society caution that change must not be abrupt; it should be incremental, and more importantly, have the input of local people. Much of the tribal region is currently witnessing counterterrorism operations by the military. The state needs to plan ahead so that once the military succeeds in permanently uprooting militants from the region, a viable system of civilian governance can be put in place. Fata must be brought in from the cold without delay.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015