The Fata story

The government is working on implementation of the twenty points of the National Action Plan in an effort to counter terrorism in the country. One of these important points relates to Fata. It states: “Steps would be taken for immediate return and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons; and administrative reforms and developmental activities would be expedited in Fata”.
Nobody can dispute that all this needs to be done. Everybody professes to the necessity for this but as they say the taste of the pudding is in the eating. Similarly, the actual implementation of this aspect of the plan is the real test of the government’s true intentions. Will the people of Fata have any role to play in it or will they merely be silent spectators, as in the past 68 years, as others make and execute policies for them?
These are some of the questions which, if addressed properly, would ensure success in the development of Fata. But bearing in mind what the top echelons in the country have done to Fata in the past makes one rather sceptical and the promises being made now seem nothing but a fantasy unless the people of that area are themselves made stakeholders in their own region’s development.
This reminds me of what a scholar from the US shared with me after a recent conference in Islamabad. While talking of events in Fata over a cup of tea, he said in a lighter vein said that Musharraf had once completely disowned Fata in one of his live TV interviews in Washington. Apparently, in response to a question on the presence of militants’ safe havens in Fata, instead of giving a proper reply, Musharraf simply disowned that area as not part of Pakistan. The answer left him so confused that the scholar said he had asked his wife, who was also watching the interview if he had rightly understood the former president. Instead of saying yes or no she asked what sort of person would disown a part of the very country of which he was president. So much for the patriotism of the valiant commando whose false slogan is ‘Pakistan first’.
What is stated to have been said by the dictator publicly on television demonstrates he had little or no knowledge of Fata which is why he did not hesitate to take decisions regarding Fata without realising the consequences of his actions. This in turn supports the argument that he dragged somebody else’s war into the country, and in fighting that war got the army embroiled with its own people on its own soil.
Another important factor that contributes to the miseries of the people in Fata is the mindset of those who have either not seen the tribal areas or have been there but only served for brief periods without comprehending the intricacies and undercurrents of tribal customs and traditions, the knowledge of which is vital for the success or failure of government policies.
These people have an erroneous picture of Fata and the working of the system of government (read administration) there. They wrongly believe the people of Fata have a hand in creating or abetting militancy and that they are responsible for the safe havens of militants there. This is not true; the people of Fata have suffered more than anybody else in the whole of Pakistan. They are just the victims of circumstances created by others.
Let us not blame the outsiders for their lack of knowledge about Fata as they cannot even visit the area freely. The FCR forbids anyone from entering Fata without prior permission by the government. How ironic: Fata has been made a no-go area even for its own people.
Very little is known of the people and the system of governance that is working in Fata. How many would be aware of the fact that the entire population of Fata has been held ‘captive’ for the last 68 years. They have no government of their own nor are they consulted in any matter concerning their areas. They can neither bring in a person nor take anyone out without the concurrence of the authorities there. Whatever happens there takes place with their approval and connivance. The locals have no say in anything but in case of any untoward occurrence they are blamed while credit for anything pleasant is invariably taken by the officials working there.
Since the development of Fata is a part of the National Action Plan the government seems to be seriously considering initiating some work on that. For this purpose the task of preparing a blueprint has been entrusted to the security agencies in Peshawar who have prepared a questionnaire and are asking selected people (not all Fata residents) for feedback. Some of the important questions are: (a) Should Fata be made a province?; (b) Should Fata be merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?; (c) Should the status quo remain in Fata?; and (d) Should army cantonments be established in Fata?
These are some of the questions that the security agencies will be addressing. The basic question that arises is whether the security agencies are really the appropriate forum in a democratic country to address this issue and take a decision or even make recommendations thereto. In any other country such matters would be decided by the people elected to do so – parliament – and that too after the wishes of all those who would be affected had been fully ascertained. This is a job for a civilian government. It is time the government marked its presence in Fata and took over responsibilities in areas that have already been cleared by the security forces and where the internally displaced people are supposed to move back soon.
Fata’s painful story is nothing else but a reflection of bad governance coupled with corruption on an unbelievable scale; the tribal areas are a victim of wrong policies being implemented from a distance (Islamabad/Rawalpindi).
This needs to be changed immediately and the people residing there need to be involved in reforming their own area. This responsibility should be given to the people of the tribal areas. Others must not devise ways and means, like before, to deprive them of their right to administer themselves. They themselves must have a say in whatever is happening there and they should be made stakeholders if Fata is to be mainstreamed through development. The sooner this change takes place the better it will be not just for Fata but for Pakistan as a whole.
The writer is a former ambassador. Email: waziruk@hotmail.com