FATA Merger And The Minerals Bill: A Path to Justice, Not Betrayal – OpEd
In an era where Pakistan is struggling to achieve unity, equality and progress, there are certain elements, whose voices are usually loud but directionless, trying to make progress look like a betrayal. The integration of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the recently approved Minerals Bill, are landmark measures of justice and empowerment to the long-ignored people of these regions. However, some but prominent group of so called Pashtun anarchist are busy propagating disinformation and presenting these revolutionary changes as oppression. The opposite is furtherest (sic) from the truth.
FATA was one of the most marginalized areas of Pakistan during decades. It was ruled by the colonial-era laws in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), and its inhabitants did not enjoy the fundamental rights and constitutional protections that other citizens had. It had no proper schools, no hospitals that worked, no justice in case of injustices and no development worth speaking of. Centuries of tribal young men and women were raised in a world where development was a far-fetched reality, and violence and poverty were the states of affairs.
The Merger of FATA in 2018 was not a purely political decision, it was a long awaited blow of justice. The inhabitants of tribal regions received an equal right as any other Pakistani, and this was the first time in history that such a move had been made. They are now constructing schools, paving roads, operating courts and constructing infrastructure. Well, no, the transition has not been ideal. It has had its difficulties, delays and failures. But to negate the fact that this merger shall have overwhelming benefits is to turn a blind eye to the facts on the ground.
The opponents of the merger like to dress up in the garb of ethnic pride and defiance and make the state an alien entity. Yet these accounts are mere thinly disguised efforts at protecting the status quo- where a few elites profited on anarchy at the expense of the ordinary tribal citizen.
Another keystone to this change is the new Minerals Bill which was recently passed. The tribal areas have abundant mineral reserves that consist of chromite, marble, coal and other precious deposits. These resources have been over the years invested in by the powerful actors, both locally and externally, and the local people have remained poor. The Minerals Bill is an attempt to undo this travesty. It guarantees that the owners of the land are the ones to enjoy the wealth too. It establishes some fair extraction rules, environmental safeguards and above all, a system of revenue sharing with local communities.
The rejection of the Minerals Bill, as was the rejection of the merger, is based on fear – fear of peace, development and accountability. FATA has been isolated far too long under the pretence of tradition. The effects of that isolation were the flourishing of corruption and exploitation. Today, as the rule of law reaches such areas, individuals who used to benefit greatly due to the lack of order are trying as hard as they can to discredit reforms.
These anarchists are not representing the voice of the common people- they are representing themselves. They love instability. They are afraid of seeing a day when the tribal youths are educated, employed and empowered. They are afraid of tarred roads leading isolated locations to the cities, hospitals that make the difference between life and death, courts that ensure delivery of justice and laws that halt exploitation. Their propaganda is tailored to incite ethnic aggrived communities and divide them at the moment when they should be united.
Pakistan should hold its ground. The state should not stop consultations with tribal leaders, civil society and the youth of FATA because reforms have to be people-oriented and inclusive. Transparency should be there more so in the implementation of the Minerals Bill to ensure the citizens are not looting their resources under a new name. Meanwhile, the sources of division and falsehoods should not be met with violence, but with facts and outcomes.
FATA is not a different territory (land) – it is Pakistan. It is not an outsider nation, but our brothers and sisters live there. They should be given equal rights, protection, and opportunities like any other person in Lahore, Karachi, or Islamabad. Pakistan can only be great when it is united. The journey towards that unity can be a long one and it can be one that encounters opposition but that is the only journey worth making.
As it turned out in the end, the merger and the Minerals Bill are not betrayals, they are milestones. They mark a breakthrough in which the citizens of tribal regions are not considered as second-rate citizens anymore. They are a source of hope, dignity and better tomorrow.
Some may cry “progress” on the sidelines. Pakistan will continue to progress- with FATA, to FATA, and to all citizens who aspire to see a more fairer, strong and united nation.
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