Democratic development

This has been a momentous week for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in general and the erstwhile Fata in particular. This is the week when residents of the newly-merged tribal areas have finally seen their own elected representatives — totalling 19 — take their seats in the power corridors of the province — the provincial assembly. Thereby, it gave the residents of these areas greater control over their fate. In short, after centuries of tribal customs and colonial laws, these areas will now benefit from the gift of democracy.

Democracy today means so much more for the residents of the tribal districts. They faced the scourge of militancy and were then displaced due to the military operations to dislodge the terrorists. Democracy is the promise of development for an area which has long been neglected, treated as a pariah almost. And the same promise, of infrastructure development, is what has been demanded in the first couple of assembly sessions. Representatives from across the tribal areas have raised issues of missing facilities, some of which have become collateral damage in the war against terror. They have called for basic facilities such as roads, highways, schools and hospitals — even as basic as drinking water supply schemes.

Indeed, the provincial and federal governments have committed substantial funds under a special programme to develop the tribal areas. But the development and the use of funds need to be closely monitored by locals to ensure that it is spent where it will benefit the locals the most. For this very reason, K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has hinted at including two of these newly-elected representatives in the provincial cabinet where they will be in a better position to help bring about real change in the tribal areas. One of these lawmakers is expected to be a woman.

The areas in question are still steeped in tribal customs, where elders and the strongest tribes used to call the shots. By introducing democracy, it is hoped, the doors of real development will finally open.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2019.

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