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THE people of Fata have been the biggest victims of militancy over the last decade. They were thrown out of their homes (many displaced for almost a decade), their livelihoods were decimated and countless lives were lost.
The only silver lining resulting from this destruction was that the world’s attention turned to the urgent need for development in Fata, which has an opportunity to create a new system of governance that truly meets its people’s needs.
Unfortunately, this opportunity is about to be wasted. The latest Fata Reforms Committee comprises five individuals with no ties to or stakes in the area, and their ill-conceived reforms are about to rob this most vulnerable population of the opportunity to build a brighter future.
A third option was never given to Fata residents.
With the destruction of the previous system in Fata, the region is left with two choices — i) extend Pakistan’s institutions (via a merger with KP) and hope they bring development and prosperity, or ii) create a new governance structure based on indigenous needs while learning from problems of Pakistan’s institutions.
The wisdom of the first option is questionable since Pakistanis across the board — from judges, to party leaders, intellectuals, and the common man — realise that the underlying problem in the country is the failed institutions governing us. In development economics theory, leading economists from Paul Romer to William Easterly put institutional failure at the heart of why nations fail to develop.
However, there is hope where the second option is concerned. The example of the Motorway Police can be cited here. In 1997, a decision was taken to learn from the existing limitations of the police and create a department specifically designed to police the newly built motorway. They have been a tremendous success and are consistently ranked as one of the least corrupt and most effective institutions in Pakistan. Other traffic police departments in the country have adapted their operations to the motorway police system.
This success lies in the fact that those with the most knowledge and highest stakes, ie senior police officers, took the lead in drafting and executing the reforms. A similar approach is needed in Fata. Elected parliamentarians supported by qualified technocrats from the region and leading researchers/academics should take up this agenda and propose a comprehensive reforms package.
In the meantime, reforms that have broad consensus amongst Fata residents should be extended immediately. Foremost of these would be a share of the NFC award for Fata, liberating it from governor raj by installing a council of local elected representatives, ensuring accountability in the funds collected and spent in Fata, establishing local bodies to oversee community projects, removing barbaric collective punishment laws and separating judicial and administrative powers at the political-agent level.
Finally, it is important to point out that the notion that the merger proposal has the local population’s widespread support is wrong. Over the last few years, deliberately or because they were the locals with media access, proponents of a merger have been heard the loudest. Why that is so is another debate.
Another contributing factor is the way the reforms agenda has been presented to Fata residents. From the beginning, residents were led to believe their options were limited to choosing between the status quo and a merger with KP. A third alternative, that of the locals creating a system for themselves, which one would expect in a democracy, was never given to them.
Further, a false impression of what a merger would entail has been given to Fata’s people. The picture presented is that there would be swift justice through the court system, high-performing schools and hospitals in all parts of the region, jobs for the youth through massive industrialisation, a crime-free environment because of efficient policing and the availability of basic necessities like running water and electricity.
Is this really what other remote parts of the rest of Pakistan look like? Is there any reason to expect that Fata would not simply become another neglected rural part of a larger province that we see across the country?
Through some miracle, the slow actualisation of the reforms has meant a chance for reconsideration, and the needed steps towards actual development can begin. Alternatively, if the current agenda continues and the government fails to deliver on the promise of the reforms that are meant to accompany the merger, the frustration of the long-suffering people of Fata will once again make them a prey for extremists seeking to capitalise on their deprivation and grievances.
The writer is an Islamabad-based economist, who is originally from Orakzai Agency.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017
Comments (20) Closed
A well articulated article. To the least, consent of people of FATA must be heeded otherwise any reform decided to be implement barring FATA people would be a futile excercise and would have far reaching ramifications.
Looking at the current conditions of Pakistan and the way provinces fight over NFC and the way CPEC was made controversial,merger is the best option.Let us extend the the rule of Pakistani institutions and try to improve these institutions with the so called technocrats that we have,not only in FATA but also all across Pakistan.delaying for one reason or another,tantamounts to robbing people of their rights.the same so called beaurucrates or technocrats or running fata for the last 70 years have they improved anything. So for as the matter of local people is concerned ,a good number of people are not politically aware ,they simply don't know what is in their best interests.they say what their maliks and Mullas tell them.who scare them of the police and of the corrupt practices in other intuitions.further more I know many doctors and teachers who work abroad or other parts of Pakistan while getting salaries from FATA.so why would such people support check and balance.the local corrupt political agents and other departmental officials are the direct befnificiaries of such system.
Thought provoking article......but I am certain other more learned persons would find the suggestion made as highly ambitious and unworkable.
Agreed 100% but we are sure that this country is not serious about FATA and if we ever use to think about choosing the option of separate province, the process of mainstreaming will stop which will take years and years to resume again.
If a region is being kept deprived from the access to courts, right to legislate in Parliament and governed under FCR from the very first day of Pakistan independence, how can one rise hope from such a country to do whatever in the best interest of the region.
Good stuff. Hope people will read this.
Writer makes sense.
As it has been pointed out earlier, in order to declare FATA a separate unit, it would require a huge investment and how would we resolve the issues among the tribes themselves. Which agency would host the capital? Secondly, do we have enough human capital from the FATA who would set up a more promising set up than rest of Pakistan and administer it accordingly? Even if we declare FATA as a separate unit, you will need to hire people from rest of Pakistan to be put in the administrative role there which will lead to the situation as has prevailed in Balochistan. The best bet (though not the ideal one) is to merge these agencies with KPK and develop them as separate districts and have a strong local bodies structure over there. Let them have representation at provincial as well as federal level and open them to the rest of KPK as well as the world.
sane analysis.
well said.i fully agree with the pure fata person
Great piece
An eye opening one on the FATA issue by the writer from Fata who's all the situation in front of him and suggest the government to go through an option that would benefit Fata masses in the future.
Merger of FATA is about land grabbing. Don't you so called brave Pushtoons understand? When are you going to fight? Urdu speaking illegal behn chauds are grabbing your land.
Sorry money can be invested only in Punjab and Sindh. If you want development pl merge FATA into one of them and convert yourself.
I see glass half full not half empty, merger with mainstream Pakistan is the best option, sooner or later the development will come. Never forget society is comprised of all ethnicities and they all governed by central law is the best way to unify any nation, so culture may be important but on the name of culture, education, law and women development can't be sacrificed.
The best solution is to make it a separate province, with local people governing their own province. At the same time other existing provinces should be broken into more provinces for better governance.
@Arteeq WOW.!
YES. WHY NOT THE THIRD OPTION???
Separate province is the best option and it's the democratic right of the fata's people to be asked via referendum but unfortunately the so called democratic government constantly hesitat to act accordingly...
it seems you are not only confused but also novite about FATA issue .you talked about why not people of the region decided their fate ? don't forget the current system of governance is own choice of FATA people with British Raj . then talk about third option ? what do you suggest ,if merger and separate province are not viable ? should state authorise them to declare separate country ? you think people of the region didn't want to merger with kpk then why elected members of the FATA supported and why people marched to Islamabad ? why youth in Peshawar convention from all the parties endorse the merger plan !! you must know something crazy which you don't want to share please enlighten us with your out of box thinking which can resolve all the issue of FATA..
A worth-reading article..