FATA’s merger with K-P — challenges, opportunities

Letter May 29, 2018
There is a great need to work unanimously to achieve the objectives of the Fata-K-P merger

MULTAN: Pakistan’s legislative houses have successfully scrapped the century-old draconian laws governing Fata. Before the Fata-K-P merger the Frontier Crimes Regulations, devised by the British, was enforced to maintain law and order in the region. In the post-independence scenario, the exclusive identity of these tribal areas was retained and later protected under Articles 246-247 of the Constitution of 1973. However, such a development could not contribute to the welfare of the local people. Additionally the proxy wars post-1979 and the war against terrorism in the region has worsened Fata’s socioeconomic conditions.

The present merger is a major development in the history of Pakistan. However, passing of the law to merge Fata with K-P is one step and implementing it is another. There is a lot of opportunities waiting for the people of Fata, the benefits of which can be harvested if the challenges beyond the merger are handled carefully. Here is a brief of those opportunities and challenges:

The K-P Assembly will get 23 more seats after the merger. This will increase the role of the province in the national level decision-making and the bargaining power in terms of resource allocation.

Socioeconomic development of areas merged with K-P will create thousands of jobs in the field of education, health, water supply schemes, power supply, mineral development programmes and citizen losses compensation programme.

The establishment of industrial zones with special incentives will attract investors from every part of the country, which will also create technical and managerial jobs. Linking these areas with CPEC will gain the attention of investors from China and other countries and regions such as Russia and Central Asia.

There can be mainly two challenges related to post Fata-K-P merger scenario. First, the US drone strikes will create a new situation for the civil-military establishment of Pakistan. The people of K-P may demand strong action against such strikes, remember that the Peshawar High Court had already declared drone strikes illegal in 2013.

The second challenge will be the India and Afghanistan supported insurgency. Both countries have been already found involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan, particularly in K-P and Balochistan. Since the merger is against the wishes of the government and people of Afghanistan due to their claim over the northern areas of Pakistan, a new wave of Indo-Afghan sponsored terrorism is likely to emerge.

There is a great need to work unanimously to achieve the objectives of the Fata-K-P merger. This merger if carefully monitored and kept un-politicised will have long-lasting positive impacts on the life of local people, including Pakistan’s economy.

Salahuddin Bhutto 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2018.

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