Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a seminar on Thursday said that FATA required to get rid of the FRC and executive orders from Islamabad, as a last colonial legacy and the reforms process must continue.

Moreover, the peace in the rest of Pakistan was conditional to the peace in FATA, which was again conditional with the peace in Afghanistan. This was a consensus among keynote speakers and participants, who attended a seminar on “The Merger of FATA”, arranged by Shaheed Bhutto Foundation, here at Szabist campus Auditorium, Islamabad.

The seminar was presided by Senator Farhatullah Babar, and addressed by another Senator from FATA, Sajid Hussain Turi, Senator Rubina Khalid, Ayaz Wazir, Afrasiyab Khattak, Asif Khan, Anita Mehsud, and was hugely attended by representatives from different tribes of FATA, political parties, civil society activists, academia and concerned citizens.

Senator Farhatullah Babar was very passionate as he spoke with his concluding remarks that an opened door on the reforms of FATA must not be closed, as FATA needed to get rid of the colonial baggage of the FCR and executive orders from Islamabad. For this, he opined that the drivers of change in FATA were its own people and no other actors, who were politicising the proposed merger at its critical time when there was a consensus across the country on its reforms, most preferably its conditional and gradual merger with KP.

In his speech, senior analyst, Ayaz Wazir, advocated that in the light of broader and longer interests, the demand of a separate province carried more weight, as with that option, FATA would have an access to more resources and representation. However, this option was strongly opposed by other speakers and attendees. On which he responded that, instead of a merger of FATA with KP, a separate province would be more beneficial and futuristic. For this, as an option, no one should grossly overrule or discard that.

Senator Sajid Hussain Turi, who himself belonged to FATA passionately seconded the option of a merger instead of other options — either referendum or status quo as he argued — be proceeded without any delay, otherwise, since the last seventy years, FATA was stuck in between the rule of law or as otherwise, negatively known in the rest of the country and abroad.

Senator Turi also suggested several points for its inclusion in the proposed Rawaj Act that had to replace as and when the FCR was discarded with the proposed reform package. He emphasised more on the latest census, resource allocation, developmental package and an issue of IDPs that needed rehabilitation, before any reform package on the fate of FATA.

Senator Rubina Khalid appreciated the reform package on FATA and provided a critical appraisal on its way forward. She viewed that the federal government was unclear and lacked a clear headed plan on its way forward, creating more confusion and doubts.

Asif Khan criticised Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mehmood Khan Achakzai on becoming last-minute barriers towards FATA reforms as the cabinet was sceptical and reluctant to approve for months. He argued that it could jeopardise the overall process that was turning into a big success, if inked finally, with diversified inputs and taking on board all political forces.

Aneeta Mehdud, a PTI activist clearly advocated the merger of FATA with KP, as she thought, an age old mindset and mechanisms were the real barrier for making it happen. For this, she appealed all forces to second the merger of FATA with KP, as in her opinion — also as the daughter of a tribe from FATA — it was the most appropriate option to move with.

Earlier, Sikandar Ali Hullio, Chief Executive, Shaheed Bhutto Foundation (SBF), welcomed all participants and briefed that, SBF had been closely monitoring and facilitating the reform package on FATA in both technical and opinion-making capacities.

He also told that the merger of FATA and its way forward needed marathon deliberations before its announcement. The SBF was making all possible efforts including that particular seminar which gathered all the sections of the society.