The government on Thursday approved the amended report of Fata Reforms Committee seeking mainstreaming of tribal areas in five years in consultation with all stakeholders, instead of original recommendation of Fata's integration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the pressure from within the ruling alliance. The approval was given by the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which was also attended by the six-member Fata Reforms Committee.
Fata to be fully merged into KP 'within 5 years'According to the sources privy to the development, the term "integration of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" was amended and was replaced with the "mainstreaming FATA" on the insistence of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Briefing media persons on the decisions of the federal cabinet along with committee members including PM's Adviser on National Security Lieutenant General Nasir Janjua (retd), Minster for SAFRON Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) and others, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that necessary constitutional amendments would be made to enable people of Fata to elect their representatives to provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the 2018 general elections.
Aziz, who was chairman of the committee, said there were some objections on two points and after amendments the final report was approved, adding Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) would be repealed and replaced with new Rewaj Regulation for Tribal Areas which would be submitted to the President for approval under Article 247 of the Constitution. Provisions relating to collective/vicarious responsibility will be omitted, thereby making an individual responsible for his own acts, he added.
Besides, jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Peshawar High Court would be extended to Fata through an act of the Parliament so that the inhabitants of Fata can enjoy equal rights, he added. He said it was decided to make provision through a constitutional amendment to enable the people of Fata to elect their representatives to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the 2018 elections along with other consequential amendments.
He said the target date for repatriation of all temporarily dislocated persons [TDPs] should be 30th April, 2017 and most of the activities under the reconstruction phase should be completed before the end of 2018. Aziz said that a special committee of high level experts and officials should be formed under the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prioritise preparation of a 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan for Fata by 30th April 2017.
He said the cabinet also decided that the NFC should be requested to consider making an allocation of 3 per cent of the gross federal divisible pool on an annual basis for the implementation of Fata Development Plan. This will be in addition to the existing annual PSDP allocation of Rs 21 billion, he added.
He further said that 30 per cent of the allocation in the Fata Development Plan should be channelled through the local bodies and Fata Development Authority (FDA) may be reorganised under a chief operating officer (COO) in BS-22 to supervise and co-ordinate the reconstruction phase and implementation of the 10-year Socio-Development Plan for Fata.
He said that a Governor's Advisory Council consisting of all Fata senators and MNAs will be set up to assist the governor in carrying out development and administrative functions. He said the approving powers of Fata Development Committee will be enhanced through due process from the present Rs 400 million to Rs 2 billion and that of FDWP from Rs 200 million to Rs 1 billion.
On the local bodies' elections, he said that party based local bodies elections would be held in Fata soon after the 2018 general elections. He said that Permit/Rahdari system for exports from and imports into Fata would be abolished to eliminate large-scale corruption and bring down prices of essential items in Fata. Correspondingly, necessary funds will be provided in the budget for operational expenditure of the political administration, he added.
He said that auditor general of Pakistan would ensure that development funds and all other expenditure of local bodies in Fata are properly audited to ensure efficient utilisation. He further said that additional posts in the levies force will be sanctioned for performing agency/police functions in consultation with Finance Division, adding that the destroyed levies posts will be reconstructed and provision of additional infrastructure for levies to ensure round-the-clock security to be undertaken. The decision to create new wings in the civil armed forces will also be reviewed, he added.
He said that capacity building of FC will be undertaken and additional new wings of FC will be created for improved border management. The adviser said the cabinet also decided that all posts in Fata should be upgraded and brought at par with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and salaries for the project personnel in Fata should be 20 per cent higher than that admissible under the project policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For the economic development of the areas, he said that connectivity of Fata with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be ensured at suitable locations. He said that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will encourage establishment of more branches of banks in Fata, adding proper coverage of BISP, Bait-ul-Maal and microfinance schemes in Fata will be ensured.
The President Order No 13 of 1972 regarding deputation of civil servants in Fata will be suitably revised to empower the governor to attract competent officers from multiple sources for the transition period, he added. He further said that land settlement will be planned and undertaken in consultation with the stakeholders by using modern technology to create GIS-based computerised individual record of rights.
He further said that quota of Fata students in education and health institutions in other provinces should be doubled and retained for 10 years after integration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Furthermore, he added that a Directorate of Transition and Reforms will be set up for co-ordinating and monitoring the reforms. Minister for SAFRON Abdul Qadir Baloch said it was for the first time that the people of Fata would be getting their due rights which they have been demanding for the last 67 years.
He said that Fata representatives would be included in the advisory committee and they have a say in making decisions and implementing plans for development. To a question, he said that Fata would be completely merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after five years but the federal government would continue to provide funding for Fata Development Plan for 10 years, adding that about Rs 110 billion would be spent on development of Fata annually for 10 years.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said that it is a "big day" in the country's history and the nation and people of Fata deserve congratulations on this "landmark" decision. He said that 85 percent of TDPs have already been returned to their homes and the process would be completed before June this year.