The Roundtable was held at Institute of Policy Studies on Oct 06, 2016 and was chaired by Mr.

Khalid Rahman
(Director General, IPS). The following participants took part in the discussion. Mr. Afrasiab Khattak (Ex. Senator
and leader of ANP), Dr. Ashraf Ali (Consultant, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, GoP), Amb. (r) Ayaz
Wazir (Former Envoy of Pakistan), Ms. Bushra Gohar (Ex. MNA and leader of ANP), Prof. Dr. Fakhr ul Islam
(Director Pakistan Study Center, UoP), Col. (r) Habibullah Khattak (Defense Analyst), Mr. Hassan Khan (Senior
Journalist and Anchor at Khyber TV), Mr. Ijaz Mohmand Advocate (President FATA Lawyers Forum), Mr.
Inayatullah Khan (Senior Minister, Government of KP), Mr. Karam Elahi (Additional Director, FBR), Mr. Mullah
Khail (Editor, Daily Islam), Sahibzada Haroon ur Rasheed (Ex. MNA and President JI FATA), Dr. Sadia Suleman
(Assistant Professor, QAU), Brig. (r) Said Nazir Mohmand (Defense Analyst and Senior Associate, IPS), Mr.
Shahryar Afridi (MNA and leader of PTI) and Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi (Member Senate of Pakistan from
FATA).

R
eport of the FATA Reforms Committee
comprises 43 recommendations under six
different headings. Although in principle
each and every subject and proposal is important
in its own right, the most important issue is the
constitutional status of Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA).
The Committee has vide Para 32 of its summary
report mentioned four possible constitutional
options regarding the status of FATA: first,
maintaining the existing status with certain
legislative and administrative reforms; second,
the establishment of FATA Council on the pattern
of Gilgit Baltistan; third, carving out a separate
province; and fourth, merger with Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP). After examining these
options, the Committee has opined in favor of
merging FATA with KP. The committee has
suggested a five years term for implementation of
this recommendation, while suggesting ten years
Only two have been focused in the
discourse so far: first, merger of FATA
with KP, and second making FATA into
a separate province.
period for social and economic development.
An analysis of the debates that took place at
different academic circles and among the masses
on the whole, following publication of the
Committees report, reveals of the four options,
only two have been focused in the discourse so
far: first, merger of FATA with KP, and second

[1]
making FATA into a separate province.
Discussion of the participants of the Round-
Table Conference organized by the Institute of
Policy Studies (IPS) Islamabad also remained
focused on these two issues. The points that
follow elaborate the debate in question.
The following arguments were advanced in
support of merger of FATA with KP:
The different agencies constituting FATA
are naturally connected to KP. From
communication infrastructure to socio-
economic interaction, each tribal agency
is directly linked to the adjacent area of
KP. On the other hand, the various
agencies of FATA are not mutually
connected in a way that administratively
justifies their existence as a separate
province.
From linguistic and ethnic perspective as
well as socio-cultural norms and values,
the people of KP and FATA share the
same background. A significant symbol of
this ground reality is the fact that a large
segment of FATA populace dwell in KP.
For instance, a large number of Mohmand
tribesmen are settled in Peshawar and
Charsadda. Similarly, a major part of the
population of Kohat (chiefly Afridi,
Mohmand, Shinwari, Aurakzai) has
historically come from tribal belt to settle
in Kohat. The population of KP itself is
mostly tribal in background, having
settled here after their migration from
areas now constituting FATA.
The capital of any province needs to be
centrally located for easy access of all
constituent parts of the province.
Peshawar holds that unique central
position to serve as the capital of the
[2]
province after the merger of FATA and
KP.
In the past, a number of the departments
of KP Government have performed
various matters related to FATA. As such,
there has been an Additional Chief
Secretary (ACS) dealing with FATA and
since 2002 the FATA Secretariat is
working under the same ACS in
Provincial Secretariat. Moreover, a huge
number of officers posted in FATA for
performance of official duties hail from
KP. Prior to 2002 also, roughly 60 to 70%
of the matters of FATA were being
handled from KP. From political point of
view, under the One-Unit system when
West Pakistan had one Assembly,
representative of FATA were part of that
Assembly.
Most of the political parties, elected
parliamentarians of FATA, and majority
of the people consulted by the Committee,
supported the proposal of FATA merger
Peshawar holds that unique central
position to serve as the capital of the
province after the merger of FATA
and KP.
with KP. Tribal elders who attended
different All Parties Round Table
Conferences on the issue had consensus
on supporting the merger of KP and
FATA. In fact, one of the reasons for this
overwhelming consensus is that this
option is the easiest and practicable.
The question of Afghanistan objecting to
the merger of FATA and KP does not
arise because Durand Line is not just
 about FATA but covers a distance of
around 2500 km stretching from Zhob in
Baluchistan to Chatral in KP and these
areas are the same general administration
of Pakistan as would be FATA after its
merger with KP.
On the other hand, a few voices opposed the
option of FATAs merger with KP on the
following grounds:
The real need of the hour is empowerment
of the people of FATA by taking effective
steps for the education, health and other
socio-economic problems of the people. If
the people of FATA are themselves in the
driving seat for this empowerment project,
it will give better results. FATA will also
have higher representation in Senate in
case of becoming a separate province.
FATA is rich in reserves of natural
resources, and in the event of a separate
In fact, one of the reasons for this
overwhelming consensus is that this
option is the easiest and practicable.
province, finding revenue resources for
FATA will not be a big problem. In fact,
if these natural resource deposits are fully
exploited, they can provide robust
resources to the national exchequer. There
is no scientific basis of the claim that
majority of the people of FATA favor
merger with KP. If democracy is accepted
as the decisive principle, then the decision
about the future of FATA be made on the
basis of adult franchise.
The apprehension is that in case of
FATAs merger with KP, FATA will not
[3]
get its rightful share in the much needed
financial resources. In that case, FATA
shall remain condemned to its existing
backwardness. A case in point is that of
FATA Secretariat where a vast majority
of the officers and staff does not belong to
FATA.
The system of governance in KP, reflected
in its Thana culture in particular, does
not offer to the people of FATA any
model worth emulating. The wisdom of
entrusting FATA to such a flawed system
remains highly questionable.
However, a few dissenting voices, majority of
the participants of Round Table Conference
strongly favored merger of FATA with KP.
After debate on the objections to this option,
the following points became clear:
A large majority of the ordinary
people of FATA, its intellectuals
and its leadership wants the status
quo to change. Given the fact that
about 16 such reports previously
submitted to the government were
consigned to oblivion, the
apprehension and question is quite
common whether the fate of the
instant report will be any different?
It is therefore imperative to target
alleviation of such misgivings,
mistrust and questions about
governance in FATA. This would
require that the process of proposed
changes is expedited, as timely
delivery will be decisive factor in
determining the fate of the promised
changes in the status of FATA.
Constitutional amendment is done
through a prescribed procedure
 which need not be delayed. The
constitution empowers the President
to change the status of FATA but
with the condition to ascertain it in
such manner as he considers
appropriate the views of the people
of the Tribal Areas concerned as
represented in the tribal Jirga. But
what manner is to be adopted
under the prevailing circumstances
is the key question, and the sooner it
is answered, the better it would be.
Maintaining the present status is not
acceptable to anyone except a few
vested interests. These vested
interests are beneficiaries of the
status quo (which is plagued by
black economy, misuse of authority
and resources, illegal cross border
movement of goods, lack of
accountability, security related
internal and external actors) and
would like to divide people about
the constitutional status of FATA
and stop progress on this issue even
in future. It is therefore imperative
for all stakeholders to expedite, on
the basis of suitable homework, the
current pace of progress towards
determining the future status of
FATA. An important issue to
address for the future of FATA is
effective border management.
Participants felt that the five year
transition plan demands a dedicated
implementation body with
representatives from FATA, KP and
the federation. The process of
transition should be completed
earlier than the 5 and 10 years span
[4]
envisaged by the Committee
because such a long transition
period risks the loss of a golden
opportunity for changing the fortune
of FATA. 2018 should be a key
milestone in the proposed transition
process. From purely political point
of view, it is high time for the
federal and provincial governments
to win public appreciation as pro-
people by implementing the
transition plan of FATA in true
spirit.
Recent internal displacement has
made the dwellers of FATA
experience a new dimension of life.
This has kindled a natural urge in
them to improve their lives and
move forward. This is the right time
It is likely that the people of
both KP and FATA will be
affected by the merger of FATA
and KP but it is a decision of
national importance which will
in fact affect the whole country.
to provide them with such a system
that enables them to play their role
in achieving their individual,
regional and national interests by
utilizing their best talents.
While implementing decisions with
regard to the proposed transition,
care must be taken to eschew
eruption of new doubts in the minds
of the people of FATA and KP, and
to address the prevailing
apprehensions and misgivings. In
this regard, it was suggested that
 sufficient representation should be
given to FATA in the provincial
assembly of KP, and a sizable
portion of the development budget
From purely political point of
view, it is high time for the federal
and provincial governments to
win public appreciation as pro-
people by implementing the
transition plan of FATA in true
spirit.
may be reserved for FATA so that
the areas now forming part of
FATA are brought at par with the
rest of the country in socio-
economic development. It was also
emphasized to devise a crash
development agenda for FATA,
including linking FATA with China
Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) to benefit the area and its
people from the potential economic
prosperity that is envisaged in the
post CPEC scenario.
Participants emphasized that an
oversight body also needs to be in
place, with ample representation
from FATA and other stakeholders,
barring the current political
administration in FATA.
The areas adjacent to FATA and the
people living there need special
attention because they are likely to
be directly affected by the decision
of merger of FATA with KP, and it
is necessary to take notice of any
misunderstandings and debates with
potential negative implications for
[5]
the merger process. Moreover, a
high level committee at the KP level
may be constituted to carry out
home work on when and what
specific measures should be
undertaken in the best interest of the
people of concerned areas.
This apprehension that there might
erupt certain disputes over
Shamilaat is not ill-founded but
these will be primarily individual
disputes which will be dealt at
individual and family level.
Although the problem of census is
related to the entire country, its
importance is manifold in the
context of FATAs merger with KP.
Holding census at the earliest is
imperative for ensuring
transparency and making correct
and facts based planning in addition
to forestalling negative propaganda
and misunderstandings.
Like any other constitutional and legal
issue, FATAs merger with KP also
entails some substantive and some
procedural issues. It is imperative not to
confuse the two while handling the
An important issue to address
for the future of FATA is
effective border management.
merger of FATA with KP. Based on a
history of negative experiences, the
people of FATA have many doubts in
their minds with regard to the future of
FATA. It is important to remain
cognizant of these doubts and concerns.
 It is likely that the people of both KP
and FATA will be affected by the
merger of FATA and KP but it is a
decision of national importance which
will in fact affect the whole country.
That is why instead of a local or
provincial approach, national outlook
should be adopted in decision-making
and implementation. What appears
abundantly clear, however, is that status
quo is no solution at all. The ongoing
debate on the status of FATA has
generated a momentum for change
which must be maintained and
capitalized for promptly making
progress on determining the future
status of FATA.

Prepared by an IPS Task Force | For queries: Mairaj-ul-Hamid, Asst. Research Coordinator, mairaj@ips.net.pk | www.ips.org.pk

[6]