The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan is a unique setup that has lost its usefulness for Pakistan. The solution to FATA is straightforward for any Pakistani and human being. The area is currently managed under a very rigid and ancient set of laws called Frontiers Crimes Regulations (FCA) that were developed and implemented by the British in 1877 as the Murderous Outrageous Regulations.
As a human being and Pakistani, it is obvious that the people of FATA should also be given the same rights and privileges as the rest of Pakistan. Secondly, as a Pakistani it should be obvious to merge FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The people of FATA are already integrated into KP. Most of them live, study and work in KP and travel to their homes over the holidays. FATA businessmen have invested heavily in KP and all the businesses in FATA are supplied from KP. Even the government owned projects of FATA are managed by KP officers and many FATA officers are stationed in KP and trained in KP.
Therefore, we should not delay the merger of FATA into KP and the abolishing of the FCA law. Any politician or person, who wants to delay this merger and ending of FCA law, for want of discussion, is committing a crime against the poor people of FATA.
And since the area of FATA had become a hot bed for insurgent groups, creating security problems for the entire Pakistan, therefore the abolishing of FCA and implementation of Pakistan constitution and laws in FATA is also important for Pakistan’s internal security. With the implementation of rule of law, Pakistan Army can create new specialised border security forces, stationed in border areas of FATA, in newly created army cantonments, that will not only help secure Pakistan’s border, but will also provide jobs for FATA population and create development through construction of cantonment areas.
ENGR SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar
