Farid Shinwari
PESHAWAR: The recently held Youth Jirga of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with high officials of Pakistani Army at General Headquarter (GHQ) Rawalpindi has proved to be a landmark in a way to dispel the misperception that Army officials were hindering implementation of FATA reforms package in tribal areas but in fact it removed all ambiguities.
Though, the Pakistani Army in a recent past meeting with FATA Youth Jirga extended its full patronage and vowed to endorse reforms for better and enlightened future of people of tribal belt as the enforcement of reforms in FATA is need of hour and will have positive impact on social, educational lives of people. Members of FATA Youth Jirga few days back also held a meeting with newly elected Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for instantly executing FATA reforms package compiled by FATA Reforms Committee headed by the then Advisor to Prime Minister on foreign affairs.
However, the same members hailing from FATA Youth held two different meetings with Lieutenant General and Core Commander Peshawar Nazeer Butt in Peshawar and Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor in General Headquarter GHQ Rawalpendi, aimed to get support for implementation of reforms and informed them pertaining to challenges and problems in tribal belt. The meeting of FATA Youth with Army officials was held in a time when central government was expected to table a bill in national assembly pertaining to extension of court jurisdiction, abrogation of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and others.
Analysts writing pieces on merger and FATA reforms package have termed the meetings of FATA Youth with Army officials and elected government as supportive and beneficial of them to pave way for smooth implementation of reforms and remove the misconception persist in minds of tribespeople that some elements were still trying to create impediments and do not let reforms enforced in presence of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), a colonial era oppressive law imposed in tribal areas since 1901.
As the recent wave of meetings by FATA Youth with multiple stakeholders will remove ambiguities and assumptions given by people that FATA reforms will never be enforced in its spirit and letter but it is hope this will happen in forthcoming days.
In a news statement issued by Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) after meetings between Director General ISPR, Core Commander Pesahwar and FATA Youth Jirga, while quoting Core Commander Peshawar Nazeer Butt as saying that the future of FATA is linked with competent and devoted youths and they are considered to be a hope for entire country. It further informed that Jirga members were briefed with regard to developmental projects underway in various parts of FATA by Army officials as part of reconstruction and rehabilitation process to facilitate them.
However, several projects in various sectors including health, education, livelihood, irrigation, solarization to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure in all parts of tribal areas are underway after worsening law and order condition there. In this regard, few projects have been completed in Khyber Agency, North Waziristan, South Waziristan while construction work continue on many others in Bajaur, Mohmand Agency and others.
Members of delegation of FATA from all seven agencies eulogized the efforts and sacrifices of Pakistani army for establishing peace and certainty in tribal areas and its hardworking for dignified repatriation of displaced persons of tribal areas to their hometowns.
One of the members of FATA Youth Jirga and Press Secretary, Amir Afridi while commenting on recent meetings with Core Commander Peshawar and Director General ISPR, said that these meetings held in friendly environment and all questions surrounding in their minds cleared. It was a great moment for them when Army officials clearly said they will support reforms package so that tribesmen could enjoy all rights like other citizens of the country enshrined in constitution of Pakistan.
The Army officials, he informed have spent millions of rupees from their own fund along with government and international donors to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure in FATA and provide all required facilities to people living in there with no basic facilities.
Issues relating to border management also came under discussion in meeting and it was clarified that border management was must to curtail all sorts of smugglings and illegal movements from neighboring Afghanistan as the development will undoubtedly help deceasing terror incidents in FATA in particular and Pakistan in general, Afridi added.
Though, Afghanistan is our neighboring country and we want cordial relations with them based on brotherhood and equality as the border management will restrict unlawful exit and entrance of people from both countries which will help establishing peace and certainty in the region, he informed.
