Recommendations for FATA reform awaiting PM’s nod: Sartaj Aziz

After the PM's approval of the recommendations, these will be presented in parliament, says the adviser to the premier

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that his recommendations for restructuring the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) would be presented before parliament after its approval by Premier Nawaz Sharif.

“The committee has already completed its task and its recommendations would be presented to the prime minister for approval,” Aziz told The Express Tribune.

However, he was not specific as to when the recommendations for constitutional reforms in Fata would be brought before the premier.

“I can’t tell you whether the package of recommendations would be shown to the prime minister before or after August 14,” Aziz said when asked if the said date was chosen for the approval of the recommendations.



A five-member committee, led by Sartaj Aziz, was formed by PM Nawaz on November 8, 2015 to determine whether Fata should be merged into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata ) or be restructured as a separate province of the country.

Aziz, who is also heading a Constitutional Reforms Committee for Fata, refused to comment on media reports that enforcement of Nizam-e-Adal Act as a replacement of the Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) was one of his key recommendations.

Meanwhile, the committee is keeping the recommendations strictly confidential and even the parliamentarians from Fata have no knowledge about its contents.

“The secrecy about the recommendations is being maintained by the committee to avoid unnecessary controversies,” said a senior official of the body.

According to the official, another report prepared by a Fata Reforms Commission (FRC) in 2014 was shared with the media by the commission before it was presented to the federal government.



Responding to concerns of Fata parliamentarians about some suggestions being leaked to the media, the adviser said the recommendations would be presented before Fata parliamentarians and they will be briefed about them.

Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and renowned tribal politician Ajmal Khan Wazir accused the government of ignoring the tribal people during the consultations.

According to them, the committee held discussion only with its handpicked tribal elders commonly known as ‘Maliks’ during his visit to the seven tribal districts, contrary to the aspirations of tribal people.