MERGE FATA WITH KP

The Government is planning to introduce Local Government system in the Federally Administered Tribal Area from next year giving representation to the local people to solve their local problems at their own without intervention from the political authorities. The move is welcome as it meant to grant some rights to the tribal people in the shape of Local Government. It should be considered as a significant move to merge FATA with the KP Province ultimately giving them representation in the Provincial Assembly with the universal suffrage of democratic franchise after six decades. There is no other solution to the FATA problem except its merger with the KP Province. Only vested interests or privileged people are opposing the move that they will loose their positions when the political parties contact the common people at the grassroots level. Grassroots politics is not acceptable to the vested interests and they are opposing the merger and formation of a unified Province for the Pakhtuns so that they should have a powerful voice in the Pakistani Federation. It was the security establishment that disturbed the age-old system and undermined the authority of Maliks and tribal elders and the political administration making Jihadi Commanders supreme during the Afghan civil war after the Soviet invasion. Now the Jihadi commanders had changed their loyalties and they are fighting Pakistan after the Red Army left Afghanistan. There is a need to contain the power and influence of the Jihadi Commanders and deny them resources and funds to fight the Pakistan Army. There should not be a selective approach of ‘Good Taliban’ or ‘Bad Taliban’. They should be treated equally and without any discrimination which is the only solution to militancy in FATA and its adjoining areas of KP Province.