New appointee: FATA lawmakers say new governor is crucial for peace talks

MNA Kamran Khan says Shaukatullah Khan’s tribal background will help overcome many pressing issues in the region.

SHABQADAR:

Incumbent and former parliamentarians welcomed Shaukatullah Khan’s appointment as the new Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governor and hoped the move will pave the way for a smooth negotiation process with the Taliban.

That Khan comes from Bajaur Agency can prove beneficial in restoring peace in Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), said former federal minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi. “We have many expectations from him, but if he fails those who tend to be suspicious of people from Fata will have a reason to ban tribesmen from important appointments in the future.”

MNA Sajid Hussain Turi, a member of the Munir Khan Orakzai Fata parliamentarians group, told The Express Tribune that Khan was inducted as governor after consultations with his group. Turi, who hails from Kurram Agency, was optimistic Khan would work to end the long-standing crises in Fata through dialogue.



“We should take Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s suggestion to form a jirga for talks with the Taliban seriously. The jirga would represent Fata as well – since Khan is from a tribal area, he can be of help,” said Turi.

He urged all stakeholders be taken onboard before peace negotiations and like previous talks, this should not prove to be an opportunity for militants to regroup and become more powerful.

Turi hoped the governor would also focus on the uplift of education and health – sectors which remained neglected in previous tenures.

MNA Kamran Khan (and member of the Fata joint parliamentary group) said he was not consulted but he backed the decision and called it visionary for Fata. “Shaukatullah is the first governor of K-P with a tribal background and will help in maintaining peace and encouraging development in the region.”

Khyber Agency tribal leader and a former state minister Malik Waris Khan Afridi said: “Khan’s influence might even extend to Afghanistan.”

There was a consensus amongst these parliamentarians - if the US is willing to hold talks with Afghan Taliban after a decade of war, Pakistan should also consider a similar reconciliatory route with local militants.

Some political analysts said Khan’s appointment shows the government is keen to restore lasting harmony in the war-ravaged tribal belt.

The fact that he belongs to Munir Khan Orakzai’s group, who has accompanied Maulana Fazlur Rehman to Qatar for talks with the Afghan Taliban, will have a positive impact on establishing peace in Pakistan via a similar route.

Meanwhile, a large number of tribesmen in Parachinar, Kurram Agency, celebrated Shaukatullah Khan’s appointment by distributing sweets on Sunday. Led by Turi, they marched towards Parachinar Press Club.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2013.