Poverty in the FATA area is appalling since ever. The first cause of poverty is the generally poor land quality and the second is the lawlessness.
This has not allowed capital formation and jobs. As a result the people of this area have always been forced to find jobs else, where leaving behind families. They live in constant anxiety worrying about their families and missing them.
A very large percentage of these have found jobs in the Middle East. This desperate lot also known as Overseas FATA Pakistanis (OFP) have over the years accumulated considerable wealth, which could have been used to create jobs near their homes if normal laws were applicable in their area.
However, given the lawlessness the same wealth is invested in settled areas while poverty persists in FATA. Besides the money which was bought by OFP into Pakistan up to now; it is estimated that those still living abroad have additional USD 100 billion. A large part of this money will flow into FATA once the area stabilises.
One reason for this is that with the settlement and pacification of FATA, all kind of illegal activity and violence will reduce substantially all over Pakistan. This will lead to return of Overseas Pakistanis in large number generally and the FATA based in particular. Thus given a chance of peaceful existence in their own country they will prefer to return.
They will not only bring with them USD 1,000 billion wealth but also their connections and latest technology and help make Pakistan a Leading Economic Power.
TARIQUE KHAN JAVED
Lahore
