KP caretaker CM for early mainstreaming of tribal areas following FATA merger

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (r) Dost Muhammad has said that the extension of governance structure of the province to FATA, introduction of transparent governance there, the extension of laws and rules and regulations and above all the policy implementation mechanism for mainstreaming of FATA are some of the challenges that need full-time attention.

The sooner the tribal areas get justice, the better it is in the interest of the whole country, he added.

He was addressing a high-level meeting in the backdrop of FATA’s merger into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and formation of administrative units (consolidated divisions) at Chief Minister Secretariat, Peshawar.

The KP chief secretary gave details about his meetings for implementation on the FATA reforms adding that a committee headed by KP law minister has been formed which would form the future strategy and prepare TORs. The meeting focused on the Nizam-e-Adl, FC, tax collection and revenue etc. and made a number of decisions.

Dost Muhammad in the background of the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agreed in principle to issue the administrative units viz. consolidated divisions and added that the actual problem would be the resources. As long as the federal government did not transfer resources, the reforms process would continue recording a slow pace.

The caretaker chief minister said that the government had to make a number of decisions that included the new recruitments, the creation of different posts, the infrastructure development and above all the holding of local bodies’ elections in October 2018.

Dost Muhammad asked the relevant quarters to meet the tribal Mashraan and tell them the utility of laws and the harms in the absence of laws. The tribals are fully conscience to the unfolding situation and hopefully would cooperate. For durable peace, FATA needs census and land record that will guide the future development of FATA, he added.

Later, talking to the trading community CM Dost Muhammad assured for realistic policies and steps to give relief to the trading community. The government would certainly give them incentives but the trading community would have to give a reciprocal response and act as a Momin in mitigating the problems of the poor, he added.

The chief minister on the problems raised by the trading community assured to get the proper briefing on the load shedding, provision of gas, implementation on industrial policy, establishment of Kohat Industrial Zone and property tax etc. and assured to give relief within the parameters of the law.