Tufail Dawar
Historically, the USSR invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the US-led “War on Terror” against terrorists in Afghanistan in 2001 both turned out to be terrible events for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which are now a part of KP province. After the 9/11 attack, FATA emerged as the most hazardous region and the epicenter of international terrorism. Furthermore, multiple military operations were launched to counter terrorism which became the major threat to national integration. Post-merger the situation the youth of Erstwhile FATA shift in a new dimension such as the young boy and girls got admission in universities and capacity building program. Mostly, people asked one question that Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) the British colonial laws and merger is better for Ex-FATA? The answer is not too easy but the two different scenarios need a critical analysis. Firstly, the British colonial legacy was ruled for more than one century where a victim had no right for Wakeel, Daleel and Appeal. The people of FATA were kept marginalized from the human laws and rights, but at that time access to information was too limited. Additionally, post-merger the system of governance, laws, police system, judiciary and power to local departments shifted. The tribal people were adopted with the FCR because of hundred year history of they practice and their nucleus of decision-making was based on the draconian law. Therefore, the draconian laws got benefits of social code of honour called ‘Pashtunwali’ such as Nang (Honour), Melmastiya (Hospitality), Turah (Bravery), Badal (Revenge), Wafa (Loyalty) and Nanawatey (Asylum).
Recently, the idea and practice of development have become increasingly contentious, not least because of the it has a problematic relationship with both individual and communal human rights, and it is up against significant opposition from regional, localized approaches particularly in Ex-FATA. According to Escobar the “remaking of development must start by examining local constructions, to the extent they are the life and history of people, that is, the conditions for and of change”. But the government starts development in Ex-FATA?
Firstly, the government should address the problems of each District in different lenses, for example within the Districts of Kurrum and Orakzai had not only land disputes but the nature of dispute link with their sectarianism. Similarly, North/South Waziristan engaged in land dispute between two tribes are on the basis of Tribalism because the tribe practicing same religion, sect, Rawaj (customs), and language are same. Therefore, the government has two option; Jirga and Judiciary. For conflict resolution both are the best option but the tribal people are more familiar with their Rawajwhich strengthen the arguments of Jirga. Furthermore, Saleseen-Act is also a way towards sustainable peace and to resolve the land dispute.
Secondly, the government focuses on education in Ex-FATA to enhancing their “Critical Faculty” of the new generation. The approach should contain the History, Political science, Economy, Social structure, innovation, and anthropology. According to the Education Monitoring Authority (EMA) that there are 970 schools in District North Waziristan with total enrolment of students is approximately 77,146 of more than one million populations. Among this students 27,010 are girls which is very less percentage because they are facing social, cultural, and economic and security threats. Therefore, the government should engage the youth in paid internship for young graduate who should focus skill-oriented program such as learning languages, computer software, traffic rules, entrepreneurship, rational thinking, and digital economy.
Lastly, Ex-FATA and Afghanistan share a border. People who reside on either side of the Durand Line are closely connected economically. The Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) was signed in 1965 to give Afghanistan the option of using Pakistani maritime ports. In this agreement, numerous routes that could be used for transit trade were specified. Six of the eight trade routes that connect Pakistan and Afghanistan go via Ex-FATA. AngoorAddah, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, Khyber Pass, Nawa Pass, and Gursal are among the border crossings in Ex-FATA. As a separate province, Ex-FATA has enormous potential for transit trade earnings. Some estimates have the transit trade for the fiscal year 2010–11 at 3.12 billion US dollars. But because of a rise in militancy and fear badly affect the trade to boost economy.
In a nutshell, youth of Ex-FATA are fast joining the militants groups and one of the reasons can be that Ex-FATA is underdeveloped, with scare social services and virtually no job, entrepreneurship opportunities despite the territory having vast potential for development, particularly in mineral and tourism sector. For immediate and long-term peace and development in the region, dialogue should precede to sustainable peace and development.