political parties who made Article 247 (b) a part of the constitution.
Since the colonial days matters in Fata used to be resolved through the FCR by political agents and the tribal Malik system which was set aside with the arrival of the army on the stage. The vacuum thus created was filled by the Taliban who appointed commanders in each tribe to deal in a ‘befitting manner’ with anyone not obeying their instructions.
The government turned a blind eye, and even cooperated with them, handing over culprits to them for punishment. This weakened the established system, accepted by all, and sent a clear message to all to accept the change in the power structure. Because of this the Taliban became stronger while the political agents/Maliks were gradually reduced to being almost non-entities in real terms.
For all its faults, the political agent system was somehow working and that is what the people there were used to for so long. It can easily be revived, with little effort, for restoration of peace in that region and once that objective has been achieved the system (political agent) could be and should be changed in accordance with the wishes of the people. Nothing should be imposed on the people without proper consultation or else the result would not be different from what happened to the area after 9/11.
For reversing the situation it would be prudent on the part of the prime minister to select his team of negotiators (jirga) from Fata through the system existing there. He must ensure that proper representation is given to all the major tribes in the area and the government need not nominate its members but leave it to the tribes to do so in accordance with their own established traditions. A mechanism for that already exists in the tribal system of governance.
The total number of jirga members should not exceed three from each tribal agency, and once the tribes nominate that jirga it should then be entrusted with the job of mediation between the government and the Taliban. Their job should only be to facilitate and prepare the ground for meetings between representatives of the two sides. Involvement of people other than the tribesmen, especially the agencies, to mediate will only further complicate the problem.
Another important factor to be borne in mind while dealing with matters relating to Fata is the size of any particular area and the numerical strength of the tribes there. Waziristan (south and north) makes up more than half of the total area of Fata and the combined strength of the two tribes – the Wazirs and the Mehsuds – is larger than any other tribe in the area.
The punch line is that the militancy started there and today it is headed by commanders from that area. These areas should be given the lead role in dealing with the matter. These are important facts that have to be kept in mind while making efforts for successful conduct of negotiations. Or else it will prove to be another exercise in futility.
The writer is a former ambassador.
Email: wazirukhotmail.com