ISLAMABAD: Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt.Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch on Friday said FATA Reforms Committee recommended enforcement of Rewaj Act by abolishing colonial era black law FCR and merging of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in next five years.
He said the committee also recommended holding of local government elections in 2017 and repatriation of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) to their natives areas by December, next.
Speaking in the National Assembly here on the recommendations given by FATA Reforms Committee, the minister said hefty amount of Rs 500 billion would be spent on the development of Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) in next five years before its merger with KPK.
He said it was also proposed to set up an advisory committee comprising FATA parliamentarians (both Senators and MNAs) to give their recommendations to the governor KPK for development of FATA.
The minister said that century old black law FCR was being repealed by introducing new law which would be in accordance with tribal traditions, customs and culture. He said unfortunately FATA has been deprived of various facilities since its inception in Pakistan. The people of FATA rendered supreme sacrifices for the country, he added.
He said the Prime Minister took notice to bring FATA at par with other provinces and constituted the committee in this regard.
Abdul Qadir said administrative structure of FATA had badly affected due to killing of around 1500-2000 “Maliks” and elders of the areas. Mostly, people of FATA have to dislocate due to law and order situation and operation against the militants to purge the areas from terrorists, he said.
The minister said the committee headed by Sartaj Aziz held several meetings with all stakeholders including tribal elders, students, journalists, lawyers etc besides visiting all seven agencies and FR regions to get their opinion and then finalized recommendations.
He said the committee proposed four basic options for reforms including maintain status quo but introduce judicial and administrative reforms and increase focus on development activities, create FATA council on the pattern of Gilgit Baltistan, create a separate province of FATA and integrate FATA with KPK.
He said majority of the view that FATA should be merged with KPK, the IDPs to be repatriated to their areas, reconstruct the destroyed infrastructure and extending writ of the high court and the apex court.
However, the minister said it needed a transition period to accomplish all these tasks.
He said these recommendations were not final and suggestions given by the members of this house would be welcomed.
The minister said tribesmen also wanted to retain their identity by recognition of Rewaj and the Jirga system under the new system.
They also advocated a more gradual and phase-wise approach to FATA reforms so that displaced people could return to their homes and smooth transition from post conflict situation to durable peace could be ensured, he said.
The minister said under the integration option the security infrastructure, including the strength and quality of Levies and other Law Enforcing Agencies would have to be improved and extended throughout FATA, making it easier for the Armed Forces to withdraw from its security role in FATA, within 4-5 years.
Abdul Qadir said this gigantic task would require much larger financial resources and coordination between all the federal agencies including SAFRON, FATA secretariat, the Army formations and FWO/NLC.
A comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan has been launched by FATA secretariat which should be synchronized with the said timelines, he added.
The 10-year development program would include major infrastructure and irrigation projects, mineral development program and integrated plans for health, education including establishment of university, medical and engineering colleges, vocational training and industrial zones with special incentives, he said.
The minister said a grade 22 officer under the supervision of governor KPK would monitor all the development projects. —APP
