RAWALPINDI: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday vowed to bring about administrative, political and economic reforms in the tribal areas where the law and order problem would be dealt with by reviving tribal customs and traditions.
Chairing a high-level meeting here at his Camp Office with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also attending, Musharraf pledged to introduce socio-economic development in the tribal areas where the law-enforcing agencies have carried out a number of cleansing operations in the recent past.
Some of these operations backed by US forces ignited problems in many ways, though these were resolved through consultations at the tripartite commission meetings.
The president said Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) would be opened up for economic opportunities and curbing extremism and mainstreaming the region. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to reforming and revitalising the administrative system.
The meeting reviewed the measures aimed at strengthening the administrative system, political structure and development of the areas. It is learnt that the government, which has earmarked around Rs 40 billion for developmental purposes in the five-year mid-term reforms for the tribal areas, would constitute a “development authority” to undertake developmental work to the direct benefit of the people living in these areas.
A Task Force has concluded and recommended to the government a broad-based agenda of reforms in these areas. These include strengthening of Peshawar-based Fata Secretariat for a fast-paced development; development authority for Fata; protection of tribal system/traditions and customs; removal of ambiguities between the federal, provincial and Fata Secretariat and establishment of a coordinated network between these for integrated effort; and, dealing with law and order through reviving tribal traditions, usages and customs in a spirit which is acceptable to people of these areas.
At present, the government has earmarked around Rs 40 billion for a five-year mid-term development programme for Fata with at least Rs 5-6 billion being spent each year on this work. “Majority of the people in the tribal areas are moderate and pro-development — but they have been held hostage by a handful of extremists. We need to encourage the progressive people to come forward through employment generation, better education and health facilities — that is the way forward for sustainable progress,” said Musharraf.
He particularly highlighted the importance of special economic opportunity zones and these would help generate employment and economic activities at the grassroots level.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government is committed to allocate resources for socio-economic uplift of the people at the grassroots level and bring them into the mainstream of national life.
The meeting was attended by Governor NWFP Khalilur Rehman, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, Industries and Special Initiatives Minister Jahangir Tareen, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Yar Muhammad Rind, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Salim Saifullah and senior officials.
Imtiaz Sahibzada, adviser to the prime minister on tribal areas, presented a detailed study conducted by a task force that comprehensively addressed how to reform the administrative system and organise development across Fata.
