FATA mainstreaming matter of days, says PM

Abbasi says struggle on for uniform judicial system

LANDI KOTAL/PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that mainstreaming of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) is a matter of days, not weeks.

Addressing a gathering in Jamrud where he inaugurated a sports festival, the prime minister said, “It is shameful that parliamentarians from Fata are able to legislate for the entire country, but not their own region.”

He said a struggle for a uniform judicial system across the country was under way.

Abbasi said the British rulers had enforced the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation for their own ends, but it had remained in force even after independence. The incumbent government, he added, had formed a committee that travelled across Fata and met all stakeholders for proposing reforms.



He said the people of Fata had stood with the military and given sacrifices for peace. “Like our forefathers, this generation has continued with the legacy of sacrifices for the prosperity of the country, and we will continue to do so.”

He said the government was ready to allocate as much funds as required for the development of Fata.

On the occasion, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra announced elevating the status of Jamrud to town from tehsil.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s provincial President Amir Muqam, Benazir Income Support Programme’s Chairperson Marvi Memon and MNAs Shah Jee Gul Afridi and Nasir Khan from Fata were also present.

About 30,000 youths are participating in the sports festival that will continue for five days in sports complexes across Fata. All roads leading to the area were closed while the PM remained in Khyber Agency amid a heavy deployment of security forces.

Earlier, addressing a function held at the Islamia College, Peshawar, to mark the birth anniversary of the Quaid-e-Azam, the PM said all goals could be achieved by following the principles of unity, faith and discipline laid down by the country’s founding leader. He said the Quaid-i-Azam had visited the college to acknowledge the struggle of its students for the creation of the country.

Stressing the importance of education for economic progress, the said the sector was the government’s top priority and a huge amount was being spent on its promotion.

Abbasi also extended Christmas greetings to the Christian community and said there was no room for prejudice and extremism in a Muslim society.



Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the development of the country was linked with peace, quality education, political stability and continuity of economic policies. Calling for elimination of extremism, prejudice and sectarianism, he said the social evils could be eliminated through education and a joint struggle by all Pakistanis.

He claimed that the country is on its way to becoming an economic ‘Asian Tiger’ due to the government’s policies.

The minister said the budget for higher education had been increased from Rs13 billion to Rs35 billion and the government planned to hike it to Rs50 billion in coming years.

Governor Jhagra said classes had begun at the Fata University. He said an old demand of the region’s people had been fulfilled after the university had been set up. It would have campuses in every tribal agency and the tribal youth would get higher education in their hometowns, he added.

Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Mukhtair Ahmed said women constituted 48% of the total enrollment of educational institutions in the country “which is a matter of great satisfaction”. He said higher education facilities were now available in every area of the country.