FATA merger into K-P: PM’s panel to deliberate on reforms roadmap today

Opposition parties upset at being left out of consultations, Fata’s democratic representatives silent

ISLAMABAD: Bearing no representation from the tribal areas, the prime minister’s special committee on finalising reforms for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) is due to discuss the modalities for that process today. Members of the opposition, however, have voiced their concerns over being left out of the consultation process.

PM Nawaz Sharif had on November 8 notified a five-member committee consisting of his key advisers and cabinet members to determine whether Fata should be merged into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as a provincially-administered tribal area (Pata) or made into a separate province of the country.

The committee comprises Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua, SAFRON Minister Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and the government’s top legal expert Climate Change Minister Zahid Hamid.

The committee had been formed after an all parties’ conference had unanimously backed the proposed 22nd amendment in the lower house of Parliament. If approved, the amendment would grant full citizenship rights to the residents of Fata and extend the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to the tribal areas.

Ahead of the committee’s maiden meeting on Tuesday (today), Aziz refused to share their agenda but vowed instead to share with the public any decisions they take.

It is expected that the five-member committee will discuss modalities on how to go about finalising the reforms and to decide upon the consultation process for this purpose.

Opposition’s refrain

Members of National Assembly who hail from Fata, who have been vociferous in demanding reforms in the tribal areas and were instrumental in forcing the government to form this committee, have since been conspicuous by their silence on it.

On the other hand, leaders of parties which occupy the opposition benches in the lower house of Parliament such as Awami National Party’s (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Jamat-e-Islami’s (JI) Haroonur Raheed told The Express Tribune that the committee had yet to approach their respective parties for consultation.

Hussain, the former information minister for K-P, pointed out there was an urgent need to abolish the archaic Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and for women of the tribal areas to be empowered.  Rashid said the war torn areas of Fata desperately needed the government to announce a development package.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2015.