It has been nearly two years since the Fata Reforms Committee, headed by Sartaj Aziz, presented its report to the government recommending, among other measures, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas' merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The recommendations, as the report noted, were based on consultations with tribal maliks, elders, representatives of various political parties, civil society and six frontier regions, as well as senior civil servants with experience in the tribal areas. All major political parties, including the PTI, PPP, ANP, and Qaumi Watan Party, strongly favour merger as an essential step towards mainstreaming of Fata. Yet the federal government had kept dragging its feet because its two close allies, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Balochistan-based PkMAP leader Mehmud Khan Achakzai, would not accept the proposal. At last, the federal cabinet on Thursday approved the FATA Reforms Bill to be tabled along with the 25th constitutional amendment bill.
Unfortunately, however, the government had been dealing with Fata reforms as a matter of convenience rather than a crying need for bringing the long neglected tribal areas within the national mainstream. Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Minister for States and Frontier Region Lieutenant-General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) left the merger issue hanging in the air, saying "no legislation is being made in this regard, and the present status of Fata will remain intact." The excuse seemed to be that since the government was left with just under two weeks in office, even if the requisite law is enacted, it would create complications as that would necessitate delimitation of KP assembly constituencies comprising tribal areas, which cannot be done within such a short time. Nonetheless, he said, a law was being introduced to increase KP assembly seats to absorb tribal areas in the province. And that after the new law on seats allocation, election for tribal areas seats in the KP assembly could be held next year. In other words, the way for Fata merger is being paved, even though belatedly, as per the government commitment. Interestingly, this time it has decided to do that over the objections of Maulana Fazlur Rehman who reacted furiously to the minister's plan to introduce legislation on the subject, terming it "part of foreign agenda" and accusing the government of backing out on its promises on Fata. General elections are only a couple of months away that frees the government of the fear of alienating its ally.
The minister also claimed that most of the decisions on Fata reforms have been implemented. Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court has been extended to the tribal areas, and Rs 100 billion allocated for development work under the National Finance Commission Award. These are important steps, but won't bring a meaningful change in the life of the Fata people as long as they are governed by laws that even under the reform package incorporate retrogressive customs and traditions. And also, if the decision-making process stays in the hands of federally appointed political agents. The Fata people must have rights as equal citizens of the state. Merger with KP seems to be the best way forward, considering that almost all major players in the region, with the exception of JUI-F and PkMAP, are insistent on it.