FATA is the land of mountains, hard rocks and hard people. It exist on the map of Pakistan, and is mentioned in the Article 1, Section 2 of the 1973 constitution of Pakistan. However, it seems as if it has no existence in reality. Although it is “famous” as a “No-Man’s Land” and a “safe haven” for terrorism and militancy, FATA remains, in the 21st century, the most neglected, deprived and forgotten part of Pakistan.
Pakistan came into being in 1947, and after more than 68 years of independence our country is on its way to progress. The whole country is enjoying facilities of modern technology. However, our leaders have completely forgotten the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The people of those areas had a great role in the freedom movement. In 1947, when our army refused to fight in Kashmir, tribal people came forward to fight for Kashmir.
It is quite sad and strange that the people of FATA have still not been given their constitutional status. FATA has the Pak-Afghan border spanning over 2,250 kilometres, and the total population of FATA is more than seven million. In the war on terror, tribal people left their homes and sacrificed their life, wealth and everything for the sake of their country. However, tribal people are still suffering from issues like poverty, illiteracy, lack of proper health facilities and others necessities of life. There is not a single university and medical college in the whole of FATA, and the literacy rate is decreasing day by day. According to the latest report the literacy rate in FATA is 37 percent for boys and 11 percent for females, which is very low as compared to the literacy rate of the rest of Pakistan.
In the last seven years more than 1,500 schools of both boys and girls were destroyed by militants, and most of those have still not been constructed by the government. Mostly, the talented students do not continue their studies due to lack of financial support from their families. The children of IDPs have been without school for several years because their families cannot afford to send them to expensive schools in cities. No government, whether provincial or federal, is prepared to take the responsibility of looking after the IDPs who left their homes for the future of this country.
However, the tribal people have formed their own organisations for promotion of education in the youth of FATA. Mahsud Welfare Association (MWA) and Wana Welfare Association of South Waziristan agency are two organisations that provide merit-based scholarships every year to a thousand talented students from the South Waziristan agency. Although it is government’s responsibility to have scholarship programmes for talented students, it is private entities that are doing government’s job in FATA.
Similarly, the condition of health care in FATA is abysmal, and there are no proper health care facilities in FATA. People are forced to go big cities for treatment. There are many cases of stillbirth, and many women also lose their lives during pregnancy due to lack of proper baby-delivery services. Government should announce a special financial package for the region. Educational and employment opportunities should be created for the tribal youth.
The most important thing regarding the tribal people is that more than 40 percent population of the FATA is living in the different areas of the country as IDPs — Internally Displaced People. These people are living in very bad conditions, and life is very hard for them due to lack of facilities in IDP shelters. It is the responsibility of both the military and civilian leadership to take some quick steps for the rehabilitation of these people. Their rehabilitation must be a matter of top priority.
The most important thing regarding FATA is the need to mainstream the tribal areas with the rest of the country. In this regard the 12th point of the National Action Plan also deals with the issue of reforms in FATA. Nonetheless, it seems that this point has been totally forgotten. FATA, ruled by the old British law FCR, is in dire straits, and there is a dire need to have local body elections so that the power is transferred to the common man. One wonders if government can conduct elections for the National Assembly why it cannot have an election for local government in FATA.
Government and respective authorities must take some steps on an emergency footing, especially in the field of education, as education is the best way to defeat terrorism and extremism in Pakistan.
The writer is a member of the Pildat Youth Parliament, Pakistan. He can be reached at [email protected], and on Twitter at Rafi.mahsud@twitter