After cleansing FATA of militant sanctuaries that were responsible for major terrorist attacks across Pakistan, Pakistan army has started the gradual process of rebuilding the affected areas, especially North and South Waziristan, the most severely-hit regions owing to militant activities and US drone strikes. Local tribes faced huge unemployment because of lack of socio-economic opportunities, while some locals were forced to join guerrilla groups and banned organisations such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which used religious fundamentalism as a weapon to brainwash them. This brainwashing caused large scale uprising against the state especially the armed forces for a number of years. Moreover, the issue of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) also became a major problem for the state. Since local markets and residential areas were evacuated or destroyed due to militancy and counter-insurgent operations, tribal groups largely remained in fear. In 2004 and 2005, former president General Pervez Musharraf launched military operations at the behest of the United States, but some of those missions heavily backfired and partially failed. Although the Operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan during 2009 was successful in containing militancy to a certain extent, it was only when the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in June 2014 that militancy and terrorism was effectively targeted, following a hard but decisive battle. Resultantly, army was able to regain most of the regions in FATA from the TTP and its affiliates. This led to the rise of socio-economic opportunities in Waziristan, paving way for rebuilding local areas with markets in business once again. It is to be noted that army organisations like the National Logistic Cell (NLC) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) are carrying out all major development works in the region. Roads and infrastructural development has become a top priority for the military with the locals paying rent for army-run infrastructure. Moreover, army is also developing 41 forts in the region for consolidating its long-term presence, most likely being done for protection of the volatile region. Grievances of the people belonging to Waziristan and the wider area of FATA were not fully addressed in the last several decades. This is the core reason why militancy and terrorism became rampant there when young, impressionable people were paid to become suicide bombers by fanatic groups. Political Agents appointed under the President of Pakistan’s directive run FATA to a large extent. This has remained a long tradition, as FATA was never designated as a province of the federation due to the colonial era Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). Civilian rule must be established in the region, and perhaps it should be merged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for long-term stability. In addition, FCR must be replaced with new laws enacted for the region, providing them status according to the constitution of Pakistan. Army’s socio-economic goals are positive, but if the above-suggested steps are considered only then some effects of decades old resentment can be gradually removed for a brighter future of FATA. It is about time government of Pakistan paid proper attention to this long-neglected area, and helped mitigate the sense of deprivation and isolation the people of FATA have had to live with since the existence of Pakistan. Unless the people of FATA are made fulltime participants in the process of citizenship of the country they are inhabitants of, not much will change for FATA. *