THE role of provincial governors may stand diminished since the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, but as the symbolic representatives of the federation, the governors are still influential in their provinces.

Therefore, for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Mahtab Ahmad Khan to quit ostensibly of his own accord less than two years into the governorship suggests Mr Khan has his eyes on a greater prize.

The resignation has not come as a surprise — for weeks there had been speculation that the governor wants a more direct political role and intends to contest the 2018 general elections.

Take a look: Fata reforms panel heading nowhere

Stepping down now would not disqualify Mr Khan from political office in 2018 as all parliamentarians and provincial assembly representatives are required to not hold a post “in the service of Pakistan” for at least two years prior to an election.

The resignation also indicates the PML-N’s growing confidence about its electoral prospects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — Mr Khan is believed to be eying the chief ministership in the next assembly.

Yet, Mr Khan’s resignation will not have a bearing on provincial politics alone — as governor he has also been the de facto civilian in-charge of Fata.

And it is perhaps in Fata that Mr Khan’s departure may be felt immediately and deeply. While the army-led security establishment controls most major decisions on Fata, there are at least two areas in which civilian input has been sought, perhaps if only because the military leadership cannot go it alone: return of IDPs and Fata reforms.

The quick return of IDPs has been a priority of the military as evidenced by the ISPR statement released after a provincial apex committee in Peshawar yesterday — Governor Khan leading the civilian representation in his last official meeting. But for IDPs to return en masse to a sustainable living environment, Fata reforms are essential — something that both the military and civilian leaderships appear to agree on.

Where the difference lies is in just how far those reforms should go and, crucially, whether Fata itself should be upgraded to a full province or absorbed into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The absorption of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has proved to be a controversial issue — and is perhaps one that should ultimately be decided by the people of Fata themselves in a referendum. But is the military leadership willing to move quickly on other Fata reforms, not least defanging the anachronistic Frontier Crimes Regulation?

Thus far there has been no suggestion that the military is willing to contemplate far-reaching and rights-driven reforms in Fata — nor, indeed, is there any indication that the civilian leadership is close to a consensus among itself.

So while the priorities may be right — IDPs must be resettled at the earliest and Fata reforms are a necessity — the lack of consensus on the speed, direction and sequence of reforms appears to be thwarting positive change in Fata.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016