Daily Times

The cricket match played between Pakistan XI and the UK Media XI in North Waziristan, Miranshah, comes as a breath of fresh air for a region suffering unrest and turmoil for several years.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa rightly said that the event highlighted the resilience shown by the people of the area during difficult times when it was under militants’ control.

It is heartening to see order gradually being restored in North Waziristan areas that have seen years of merciless violence.

The federal government, and the Armed forces, deserves credit for making this happen. If they keep taking place regularly, such events will send out positive signals about Pakistan’s efforts in the war against terror.

That said, there is much that remains to be done before we can see restoration of peace in its true sense.

FATA has been neglected by the authorities for far too long, and it will take a great deal of effort to empower the people of FATA so the sense of deprivation among them can be eradicated. Unfortunately, the region gets its due attention in the mainstream media only when the Army chief visits it.

Rising cases of IED blasts in the region, for instance, remain under-reported. Moreover, the people of FATA have also suffered enough at the hands of the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) that usurps their basic rights.

Much is being said these days on ‘mainstreaming’ FATA and the civil and military leadership have reportedly agreed on the FATA Reforms Package that includes the proposal to merge FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The term ‘mainstreaming’ has long been used by the state to divert attention from the demand of FATA’s merger with KP. We hope that the process is not delayed anymore and FATA Reforms Package is implemented without any delay. Merger with KP and abolishment of the FCR are the longstanding demands of the people of FATA, and it is about time they are heard.  *

Published in Daily Times, September 23^rd 2017.