Commitment of FATA mainstreaming

Addressing a Youth Festival at Jamrud Sports Complex, Prime Minister Shahid KHaqan Abbasi gave a firm assurance to the tribesmen that mainstreaming of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is a matter of days not weeks. The Prime Minister said, “It is shameful that parliamentarians from Fata are able to legislate for the entire country but not for their own region. He said a struggle for uniform judicial system across the country is underway.

It appears that the pressure exerted by majority of political parties and threat of protest on the implementation of Fata Reforms package by Pakistan Tehrik Insaf has defeated the machinations of leaderships of JUI (F) and PkMAP for delaying the implementation of these much needed reforms.  A leading English Daily newspaper has published a report which says that the High Powered National Implementation Committee NIC) on Fata reforms endorsed in a meeting last week the merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. A policy statement shall be issued by the federal government i due course of time. The meeting also decided to do away with the controversial sections of the Frontier Crime Regulations (FCR) and allow some provisions of this colonial era regulations to continue as supplementary dispute and conflict resolution mechanism with a sunset clause to repeal it in its entirety once a proper judicial system is in place in the tribal regions.

Perhaps the Prime Minister, in his meeting with the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a few days ago, may have apprised his party boss about the NIC decision. It remains to be seen as whether the PML-N Chief has changed his mind by conceding the NIC decision or still keep active the JUI (F) central Amir Maulana Fazalu Rhaman and Pk MAP president Mahmood Khan Achakzai active for opposing the implementation of Fata reforms. It will also become clear that the imaginary reservations of JUI Amir about Fata merger with KP have been removed and Pk MAP President has been convinced on this matter. Delay in mainstreaming of Fata by its merger with Kp is a violation of fundamental rights of the people of these areas. Hopefully, Fata reforms bill that seek to extend the jurisdiction of Peshawar High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan the tribal belt will be passed from the parliament soon and the merger of tribal areas with KP will not delayed further.