PESHAWAR: Giving the task of reforms in Fata to five-member committee can be likened to casting pearls before swine. The most senior and overburdened adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has been appointed the chairman of the committee.

A man, who is always busy dealing with the country’s external affairs, has been given the task to make reforms in Fata. The committee has visited Bajaur, Mohmand and North Waziristan agencies so far for holding consultation with lungi-holders, ulema, elders and political figures for leveling ground for the much-touted ‘political mainstreaming of Fata.’ The word mainstreaming is itself a vague term.

The committee members, on every such visit, are welcomed in accordance with the tribal traditions in every agency. The guests (the committee members) are endowed with big turbans and are made to sit on the stage. One or two officials are deputed to take notes of the proceedings.

Soon after recitation from the Holy Quran, the jirga turns belligerent with participants engaged in noisy arguments for and against the system. The lungi holders nominated by the political authorities obviously speak in favour of the continuation of the existing system, while some elders and representatives of political parties demand straight away the tribal region’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or the status of a separate province for it.

Some enthusiasts shout slogans against the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) irritating ‘pro-status quo’ elements in the jirga. The committee’s mandate is to seek the opinion of the people about the Fata mainstreaming but the people demand roads, schools and other facilities.

When the situation goes out of control, the political authorities have to intervene to put the proceedings in order.

“It’s like the mama bird trying to feed its hungry chicks with beaks open for a bit of food,” said a journalist portraying the atmosphere inside the consultative jirga.

“Some people demand roads and schools. Some ask for the construction of hospital and university. Some complain about corruption. For many people, their immediate problem is the return of internally displaced persons to their homes and rehabilitation. The people having affiliation with political parties demand reforms. That makes it very difficult for the committee’s members to get to any conclusion,” he said.

After spending three or four hours among the local people, the committee’s members fly back to Peshawar and Islamabad.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had constituted the five-member committee on Nov 3, 2015, only five days before the election of the National Assembly speaker, to pacify MNAs from Fata for withdrawal of their candidate against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Safron minister retired Lt-General Abdul Qadir Baloch, adviser to the prime minister on national security Lt-Gen (Retd) Nasir Khan Janjua, minister for climate change Zahid Hamid and KP Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan are members of the committee, while the Safron secretary is its secretary.

Parliament has been barred from the entire process. Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor had formed a commission for Fata. The commission comprised retired bureaucrats and a former general.

The political agent, who is considered the root cause of the faulty system, is serving as the ‘heart and soul’ of the consultative jirga. He has the powers to make list of the people to be invited to the meetings.

“The political agents will include only those people (lungi holders) in the lists who speak in favour of the existing system and serve their interests,” said an official.

In background interviews, officials said the Fata civil secretariat had directed that political agents would not recommend elders or lungi holders for the consultation jirga with the committee.

“The civil secretariat had suggested that tribes nominate their representatives for the jirga, but the political authorities ignored the proposal and are inviting the people, who support the system,” said another official.

Officials said more than 38,000 lungi holders had been appointed across Fata during the last one and half decades.

They said 80 percent of lungi holders were useless and served only the interests of the respective political authorities.

“The institution of elders, which serves as the backbone of the tribal system, has been destroyed by increase in the number of lungi holders. From 90 to 95 per cent of lungi holders are used to regularly visit compounds of the political agents for monetary benefits,” said an official.

He said thousands of lungi holders were inducted unnecessarily just to damage the institution comprising real notables and elders.

Like tribal society, the establishment is also divided on the future of Fata.

The governor has its strategic plan for the area. The political authorities want the continuation of the century-old system left behind by colonial power, while the military establishment is in favour of wrapping up the existing system and suggest integration of tribal agencies with KP. Other quarters suggest Gilgit-Baltistan or Malakand models for the region. “Bringing reforms in Fata is not a rocket science. Instead of wasting time and energy on holding jirga and forming commissions and committees, the government should limit undefined powers of political agents,” said the official.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2016