Peshawar University's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies together with the Governance Institute Network International (GINI) recently conducted a joint research study in Fata as well as Provincially Administrated Tribal Areas (PATA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on "Misgovernance-Radicalisation Nexus in Pakistan." Findings of the study linked radicalisation to absence of political representation, economic opportunities and human rights in the tribal areas. In Malakand, support for militancy was attributed to low literacy rate, weakness of elected representatives performance, and ineffective delivery of justice. None of these findings come as a surprise.
Unfortunately, since Independence, the tribal areas have been kept outside the mainstream of national life under a 'one country two systems' scheme. Only after the Taliban started asserting control in some of the tribal agencies did the society begin to realise the differences and the difficulties in establishing State authority in the region. Run under the colonial era administrative system of political agents and oppressive Federal Crimes Regulations (FCR), common people have been denied access to normal justice system, political representation through universal right to vote, and left at the mercy of tribal elders and political agents to order their lives. Sadly, democratically-elected government too made no effort to bring these areas within the national fold, either out of indifference to the plight of ordinary tribal people or because the existing system suited them. Since the Political Parties Act did not apply to these areas, successive governments found it convenient to buy support of Fata representatives. They felt no obligation to undertake development work worth much value. These areas have been home to some of the poorest of the poor of this country. It's small wonder that they have been easy recruiting grounds for the Taliban militants who pay their fighters bigger salaries than the Pakistan Army gives its soldiers.
The case of Malakand is another story of neglect and indifference. Notably, until 1970 Malakand was a provincially-administered agency, and included the princely states of Swat, Dir, and Chitral. The princely states were abolished in '70 but without replacing their administrative and legal structures - which provided for speedy justice in the name of Sharia law - with efficient governance. Consequently, long before the advent of the Taliban, ie, in 1992, Sufi Mohammad organised a movement against the government, and led an uprising for the enforcement of Sharia law in Swat under the banner of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM). That organisation was later to be headed by his son-in-law, Mullah Fazlullah, the current head of the TTP. Fazlullah established his control over Swat until ousted in a bloody military operation. The preceding details amply demonstrate that poor governance, indeed, is the key cause of trouble in the tribal areas as well as some of KPK's settled areas.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Pakistan: Poor governance breeds radicalisation
Peshawar University's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies together with the Governance Institute Network International (GINI) recently conducted a joint research study in Fata as well as Provincially Administrated Tribal Areas (PATA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on "Misgovernance-Radicalisation Nexus in Pakistan." Findings of the study linked radicalisation to absence of political representation, economic opportunities and human rights in the tribal areas. In Malakand, support for militancy was attributed to low literacy rate, weakness of elected representatives performance, and ineffective delivery of justice. None of these findings come as a surprise.
Unfortunately, since Independence, the tribal areas have been kept outside the mainstream of national life under a 'one country two systems' scheme. Only after the Taliban started asserting control in some of the tribal agencies did the society begin to realise the differences and the difficulties in establishing State authority in the region. Run under the colonial era administrative system of political agents and oppressive Federal Crimes Regulations (FCR), common people have been denied access to normal justice system, political representation through universal right to vote, and left at the mercy of tribal elders and political agents to order their lives. Sadly, democratically-elected government too made no effort to bring these areas within the national fold, either out of indifference to the plight of ordinary tribal people or because the existing system suited them. Since the Political Parties Act did not apply to these areas, successive governments found it convenient to buy support of Fata representatives. They felt no obligation to undertake development work worth much value. These areas have been home to some of the poorest of the poor of this country. It's small wonder that they have been easy recruiting grounds for the Taliban militants who pay their fighters bigger salaries than the Pakistan Army gives its soldiers.
The case of Malakand is another story of neglect and indifference. Notably, until 1970 Malakand was a provincially-administered agency, and included the princely states of Swat, Dir, and Chitral. The princely states were abolished in '70 but without replacing their administrative and legal structures - which provided for speedy justice in the name of Sharia law - with efficient governance. Consequently, long before the advent of the Taliban, ie, in 1992, Sufi Mohammad organised a movement against the government, and led an uprising for the enforcement of Sharia law in Swat under the banner of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM). That organisation was later to be headed by his son-in-law, Mullah Fazlullah, the current head of the TTP. Fazlullah established his control over Swat until ousted in a bloody military operation. The preceding details amply demonstrate that poor governance, indeed, is the key cause of trouble in the tribal areas as well as some of KPK's settled areas.
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