Transforming Ex-FATA From an Ignored War Zone to A Prosperous Trade Hub of Pakistan
Laila Sadaf
Ex-FATA region has always been of immense importance to Pakistan for its human and resource potential. However, over the last few decades the region had been made a battle ground by militants and other such outlaws. Due to its anarchic elements and insurgencies, this region constantly remained ignored and isolated from the national mainstream socio-economic and political developments. As a result, it was known to be one of the least developed regions of Pakistan with numerous governance issues. It could rightly be said that FATA was not the case of mismanagement rather a lack of governing body and effective institutions.
Successive Pakistani regimes have attempted different reform packages and development strategies to develop the region and made its people an asset to state, but it did not substantially transform the region and its governance issues continued. In an attempt to reform and integrate the FATA region into the national mainstream governance system, in 2018, it was merged into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on paper abolishing the draconian colonial-era regulations.
FATA was introduced with unprecedented reforms. These reforms were unique in a sense that it got Presidential assent and were backed by practical constitutional amendments, which means that not only provincial government but federal administration also subsidized its reforms and played its due role to make FATA a prosperous region. Similarly, it was a fundamental break from the past delusional form of administration and show of maladministering and a bold step in the constitutional history of Pakistan, for it has changed the decades old status of FATA putting an end to the proxies fought there.
Under National finance commission Award Rs100, billion allocated to post merger FATA with the aim to address the disgruntled tribal people’s grievances, make up for their 70 years long deprivations but also to foster socio-political, and economic development and last but not the least capital formation in the area. The allocated amount was mostly spent to revamp the war wracked infrastructure and provide youth: male and females equally with better education and health facilities in the region. In the spirit of the constitutional amendment Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Region (SAFRON) was informed recently that the quota for ex-FATA students in medical institutions has been increased to 240 seats.
The Federal Government has also accelerated their efforts pertaining to education development projects, emphasizing on the rebuilding and restoration of war-ravaged school infrastructure, along with provision of free books and establishment of more schools to increase literacy in the region. According to the education department official, under ‘Standardization of Higher Secondary Schools project of the Federal Government in cooperation with provincial administration, 21 higher secondary schools been transformed to Schools of Excellence’. Modern educational facilities have been provided to students of the newly merged tribal districts on the lines of Quick Impact Program.
Beside these, recognizing the services and sacrifices of Khasadar force for peace in ex-FATA, it was suggested that instead of laying off the cadre, it should be merged into the levy force given the economic reliance of thousands of families on the employment opportunities offered by the force. They called for the application and implementation of the Constitution of Pakistan to the tribal areas in letter and spirit. Therefore, on April 08, 2019, 28,000 personnel of the Levies and the Khasadar were merged into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police. Khasadars receive the same designations, entitlements and postings as members of the regular police force.
Moreover, Planning and development department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has Initiated developmental projects like Accelerated Implementation Programme: a three-year plan under Rs1 trillion. The progress made in these projects is reported annually to the chief minister of KP. One such project has been launched to establish a prospering agricultural layout, to irrigate cultivable Waste Land, Development & Solarization of Existing Agriculture Tube/Open Wells in newly merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Such innovative initiatives and inventions in the agriculture sector will not only meet the requirement of regional people but it will also boom the entire agriculture production of Pakistan.
In line with the same objectives, provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and armed forces has also subsidized the industrial sector to make the region self-sufficient. Government seeks to provide stability and progress to the region through the installment of industrial zones. At present, five factories and mills are being constructed while in the Banking and Services Sector, four companies are operating under Army Welfare Trust.
So, multifaceted developments have been made to make the tribal people a sustainable asset to the state and allow them to be part of mainstream financial system via transforming them into skilled professionals and adroit manpower, not only for the personal development rather, regional enterprise and countrywide institutions, Therefore, it could be inferred that all of these developments are part and parcel of the FATA merger into KP. The Region once ignored and kept isolated been introduced to progressive initiatives form grassroots to higher level, transforming it from a war zone to a trade hub of Pakistan.
