On the backburner

The federal government has announced a budget of Rs26.9 million for Fata. The current allocations will not fulfil the tribal belt’s requirement as the region has been adversely affected by a wave of militancy. The people of Fata have suffered a great deal over the last 15 years. During military operations, Fata’s people have been displaced from their homes. The region is in a peripheral state and has largely been ignored since the inception of Pakistan. The people of Fata had countless expectations from the incumbent government. They were optimistic that a significant amount of funds would be allocated towards to the region in the budget. But their expectations have been disregarded.

Reforms for the tribal areas are the need of the hour. The long-awaited reforms are being heavily politicised by some politicians. All political parties have the same opinion on resolving Fata’s woes. This has led to a series of questions. Why are the Fata reforms being delayed? Why has the government failed to bring the tribal belt into the mainstream and merge it with KP? It is imperative upon the civilian government to bring Fata into the mainstream. The reforms should not be delayed any further. The future generations of Fata will not forgive us for these delays.

Attaur Rahman Toorkhel

Bajaur Agency