Muhammad  Murtaza Zishan
March, third month of the calendar, is already historically important as it was on 23 March 1040 that resolution for the creation of Pakistan was passed at Lahore. The historical resolution had thus laid the foundation for a separate homeland of the Muslims  of the sub-continent where the people were to be empowered to lead their lives according to their religious tenets and enjoy economic freedom.  But important developments taken in this month only in 2017 so far has made it all the more quite significant as for as empowering the people is concerned .On the first of March 2017, leaders of the regional countries had gathered in Islamabad for Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit  on Regional Connectivity  benefitting the people of the member countries. Within couple of days afterwards, the Federal Cabinet had taken a historical decision regarding empowering the people of  Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)  by approving the massively important FATA Reforms  which will go a long way in empowering the people of FATA to decide their matters themselves as it okayed merger of FATA with Khber Pukhtoonkhwah (KPK) , abolishing draconian  Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and replaying the same with laws of Pakistan and extending jurisdiction of country’s apex court Supreme Court of Pakistan and Peshawar High Court  to FATA.Since almost seven decades old system in force in FATA has to be changed and ensure mainstreaming of FATA people, the FATA Reforms will be implemented in gradual manner to ensure smooth transition to the new system with people becoming more and more aware about the  changes being brought about for their empowerment. It is also worth mentioning  that till modalities are decided about allocation of development funds for FATA out of the national resources, about Rs 10 billion annually  will be spent on development of various structures including infrastructure sector for ten years  to bring the area at part with other areas of the country  at the earliest possible.Outcome of the ECO Summit and FATA Reforms continue to be discussed and debated at various forums since them. For those who are unhappy and critical of FATA Reforms, somehow,this can only be said that if people of FATA are being brought into mainstream and empowered to be masters of their own  by the present government ,something which was so far denied to them, why they  are objecting to the empowering of the people of FATA?
