ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz Thursday unveiled recommendations aimed at mainstreaming Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) to end poverty and years of neglect.
In his capacity as Chairperson of the FATA Reforms Committee, Sartaj Aziz told reporters at a press conference at the Foreign Office in Islamabad that the region faced Pakistan’s highest rate of endemic poverty and lowest development indicators, with its people facing huge deficit of human rights.
Sartaj Aziz said that FATA Reforms figured prominently under the National Action Plan (NAP) formulated for undertaking counter measures against terrorism, as it was infested with armed national and international militant groups, who challenged the writ of the state.
The report has already been presented to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and discussed in a meeting of National Action Plan, where it was agreed to make its finding public to elicit further debate and develop national consensus.
Sartaj Aziz said the forthcoming sessions of the Senate and National Assembly would also hold a debate and suggestions from all stakeholders would be incorporated to make it more effective.
The Committee pointed that the consultation process brought forward four options of transformation of FATA. These include maintaining of the status-quo with minor changes; or granting special status to FATA like Gilgit-Baltistan; creating a separate province for FATA, or integrating FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Integrating FATA into KPK made more sense keeping in view the close horizontal linkages of agencies and FRs with the adjacent KPK districts. These trade and economic links were also reinforced by social and cultural consanguinity with FATA tribes, the Committee recommendations said.
