PM nominates Kazim as focal person of Fata’s reform body

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday nominated his Joint Secretary Kazim Niaz as the focal person of the recently formed committee on reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), it is reliably learnt.
Kazim Niaz has served in different tribal agencies and also worked in the Fata Secretariat. “The prime minister will get weekly briefing on the progress made by the committee,” a senior official told The News. An official notification to the effect will be issued today (Friday).
The prime minister directed the committee to speed up preparation of reforms. The forum will take into account the proposals of all the previous committees that were constituted to carry out reforms in Fata. The present body will periodically brief Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the work that will be carried out as well as the task executed by Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) so far.
The official said that the prime minister laid emphasis on extensive deliberations by the committee in consultation with all the stakeholders. On November 10, Nawaz Sharif set up the five-member committee under the chairmanship of his Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz for finalising reforms in Fata. Its other members include Minister for Safron Lt-Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Advisor on National Security Lt-Gen (R) Nasir Janjua, member of the National Assembly Zahid Hamid and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi.
The committee will also hold consultations with the Fata MPs, who have sponsored the 22nd amendment bill, providing for merger of all the seven tribal agencies in KP. The prime minister now seems keen to have the Fata reforms finalised without any delay. Three days ago, a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations on the corps commanders conference highlighted finalisation of Fata reforms besides progress of National Action Plan’s implementation and concluding all ongoing JITs (Joint Investigation Teams) at priority as the issues, which could undermine the effects of ongoing operations against terrorists and extremists.
This apparently infused urgency in government circles to accelerate preparation of the Fata reforms.