Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Contrary to earlier reports that a senior in-service military official will be appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) for FATA Reforms Committee, a retired civilian officer is likely to take charge of the post instead.

Requesting anonymity, a senior security official said that parliamentarians from FATA wanted a civilian CEO with experience in tribal areas to supervise the passage of reforms.

Back in November 2015, former PM Nawaz Sharif had tasked a five-member committee to introduce tangible reforms with options.

Compiled back in 2005, a report by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Peshawar chapter, titled: ‘A bad law nobody can defend,’ had called the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) “an outdated administrative and legal system”.

Despite the fact that the FCR lost its rationale decades ago, the HRCP stated, the government had yet to come up with a rational thesis regarding FCR and FATA.

“The provisions of the FCR are in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of Pakistan,” it stated.

Sajidd Hussain Turi, a lawmaker from Kurram tribal belt, said that public representatives from FATA had a result-oriented meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the reforms process had formally been set in motion.

“In the next two or three days, the government will most likely appoint Shehzad Arbab—- a grade 22 officer — as CEO Fata Reforms Committee to ensure implementation of the reforms committee,” Turi added.

Maulana Jamaluddin, a MNA from South Waziristan, said Fata parliamentarians wanted a civilian officer as CEO for Fata reforms.

Turi said Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt and KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak were members of the reforms committee.

He expressed serious reservations over the fact that not even a single lawmaker or senator from Fata had been included in the committee.

Sartaj Aziz, KP Governor Iqbal Zaffar Jhagra, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, PM’s adviser on National Security Lt Gen (r) Nasser Khan Janjua and Zahid Hamid are five other members of the reforms committee.

Turi ruled out the appointment of senior military officer as CEO. He said that general officers commanding (GOCs) in parts of tribal areas would supervise implementation of the reforms.

Earlier, during a meeting of Standing Committee of National Assembly for SAFRON, Bismallah Khan, MNA from Bajaur region, complained there are certain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for appointment of an official, but FATA was experiencing a different trend.

“A huge amount of money is being paid to high officials for appointment in FAT. Such officer then strengthens his interests to make money instead of working for welfare of the masses,” he said.

SAFRON Minister Qadir Baloch said that two cells would be established under the head of CEO who would supervise research and administrative matters with 70 per cent of the allocated budget for FATA would be handed over to CEO.

He said the CEO would be responsible for implementation and supervision of all the ongoing development projects. At times, he said the CEO could seek the help of the army to properly implement the projects. The report said that common tribal people strongly desired that the FCR should be done away with. “However, certain elements, having stakes in the present system, want to retain the status quo in the name of tradition and people’s culture,” it said.

Turi said the CEO would update the prime minister regarding the development projects in Fata after every three months. The security official said the CEO would serve until the thorny issue of merging of FATA with KP was decided.

Published in Daily Times, September 13^th 2017.