Pak govt approves merger of FATA with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Islamabad: Pakistan government on Thursday approved the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to bring the impoverished and politically deprived tribal region at par with the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet which approved in principle the recommendations of the FATA Reforms Committee.

The six-member committee headed by PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz recommended that FATA should be made part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

The FATA is a semi-autonomous tribal region in northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan. It consist of seven tribal agencies (districts) and six frontier regions, and are directly governed by Pakistan's federal government.

According to the plan, colonial era draconian laws known as Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) will be replaced.

The proposed merger would be carried out over a period of five years and a 10-year development package would be introduced for all of FATA.

The cabinet not only approved the plan but also agreed to set up courts, allocate additional funds and build infrastructure in the tribal region.

Prime Minister Sharif stressed the need for focusing on development of under-developed areas for improving the living standards of the people, Radio Pakistan reported.

"Time has come that the tribal people will be brought into [the] mainstream to end their sense of deprivation," the report quoted him as saying.

Sharif said due shares will be given from the national resources to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and FATA people.

The prime minister said it is obligatory for the Federal and provincial governments to work for the welfare of the people of these regions.

Sharif said the "spirit of Pakistaniat" should be promoted for the national cohesion.

"We should work for the development of every part of the country without any discrimination," he said, adding that equal opportunities should be provided to everyone.

Later, Aziz said that FCR would be replaced with Rewaj Regulations so that local people could get benefit of Jirga system in legal matters.

"We have accepted all demands of the people of tribal region and after the implementation of reforms they will have all those rights which are enjoyed by other people in Pakistan," said Aziz.

He also said that 20,000 personnel will be added to the tribal police to ensure law and order.