NIC directs speedy passage of Fata Reforms Bill

ISLAMABAD: The National Implementation Committee (NIC) on Fata Reforms has directed Law Minister Zahid Hamid to expedite the passage of the bill through both houses of parliament besides initiating other legal and administrative measures so that the normal judicial system could be extended to Fata as early as possible.

The committee met here with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair.  Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Minister for Safron Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister for Law Zahid Hamid, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz, KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak, DG ISI Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar, DGMO Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Secretary to the Prime Minister (SPM) Fawad Hasan Fawad, SAPM for Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail and other senior civil and military officials attended the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House.

The committee reviewed the progress on legal reforms and noted that a bill to extend the jurisdiction of the High Court and Supreme Court to Fata had already been tabled in the National Assembly. 

The committee also directed that all administrative actions to set up agency courts and to expand the capacity of various law enforcement agencies in Fata should be taken expeditiously in consultation with the superior judiciary. 

The committee noted that a high-level committee had already been set up to prepare a 10-year plan for socio-economic development of Fata.  In this context, it directed the finance minister to seek, as a matter of priority, endorsement of the National Finance Commission to the proposal for allocating a share from the divisible pool for Fata for the next 10 years.

Taking note of different viewpoints on the Fata reforms, the committee carried out an in-depth review of the issues raised and concluded that there was widespread support for the merger of Fata with the KP province.

However, many legal and administrative action will be required before this important reform can be given a practical shape.  The task of repatriation of TDPs and their rehabilitation has been completed; the required administrative, law enforcement and security personnel are being deployed. Legal reforms have also been initiated. 

The committee will continue to review the progress of these actions in its future meetings. The committee observed that the Fata reforms involved four different dimensions i.e. political mainstreaming, legal mainstreaming, economic mainstreaming and security mainstreaming.

These were interdependent and therefore have to be carefully planned and dovetailed, it observed.  Each has its own administrative and financial implications. Reforms efforts in the past have not been very successful because they did not adopt this holistic view of the process. 

The committee reiterated its commitment to continue working for implementing the decision of the federal cabinet. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abbasi has issued executive orders for the creation of Hazara Electricity Supply Company (Hesco) for speedy disposal of complaints besides smooth power supply to consumers of the area. 

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had initially approved the bifurcation of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) where Swat and Swabi were also included in Hesco.  The formal approval of the federal cabinet would also be sought for the creation of the authority. It is likely that Hesco would come into being within two months. Hesco would also provide more than 3,700 job opportunities in Hazara whereas 1,350 posts in the region are vacant.