PESHAWAR: Can anyone imagine a robbery in the office of a political agent, the most influential and top government official in a tribal agency? Not indeed. Two and a half years on, millions of rupees were taken away from the said office, but the officials concerned are yet to confirm whether the looted amount has been recovered.

If such is the state of affairs at the office of political administration, can a common man living in tribal area expect good governance, security and other services efficiently from this kind of administration?

The problem lies, perhaps, not with the writ of the government in the tribal areas, but with the corrupt mindset of the officials, right from top to bottom, working in Fata and enjoying powers in the absence of laws to check corruption.

The military operations in Fata may have eliminated militants, but weeding out corruption is still a challenge. In fact, corruption and bad governance are thriving in Fata where all other things are disturbed by militancy.

Govt has not evolved a mechanism to ensure good governance and uproot corruption in tribal belt.

The writ of state has been restored in Fata except few pockets after conducting military operations, but the federal government, which governs the tribal belt through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, is yet to evolve a viable strategy or mechanism for establishing good governance and eradication of corruption.

The quarters concerned have been receiving complaints regarding alleged misappropriation of funds and corruption by officials in Fata, but the relevant laws, checking corruption, have not been extended to the area.

The federal government is yet to extend Federal Investigation Agency Act 1976, The National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 to the area.

Civil Secretariat Fata has established inquiries and compliant cell in administration, infrastructure and coordination department, Peshawar early this month to deal with these issues. Officials said that 70 complaints about financial irregularities had been received in the cell during the last three weeks.

However, officials in the tribal agencies, resisting change, are reluctant to cooperate with the compliant cell and in some cases its directives have been ignored. One instance is the robbery at the office of political agent in Mohmand Agency wherein Rs 6.2 million were stolen in June 2012.

Officials said that three persons involved in the case were arrested but they were bailed out. After receiving complaint, the cell directed political administration in Mohmand Agency on December 17 to furnish details to the said office within three days, but the authorities did not respond.

An official said that the political administration did not share details with the secretariat whether the amount was recovered from the accused. He said that another reminder was issued to the political administration, asking it to reply to the cell immediately otherwise action would be taken.

Officials said that another complaint was received about irregularities in the directorate of livestock, Fata. The cell received complaints that director of livestock had transferred doctors just for extracting money from them.

According to the official letter, Dr Faizanullah was on the strength of Orakzai Agency but he was temporarily adjusted in Bajaur Agency. The cell directed the director concerned to clarify his position with regard to misuse of power and charges of irregularities within seven days, but he didn’t comply with the directives. Officials said that additional chief secretary of Fata might take departmental action or refer some cases to NAB. But role of NAB or any other agency had not been extended to the area and, as an official said, the additional chief secretary was not in a position to refer such cases to the bureau.

Apart from receiving complaints, civil secretariat Fata has conducted 57 departmental inquiries into alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of funds in 18 line departments and directorates, but action has not been taken against anyone. All the inquiries were related to financial corruption and embezzlement of funds.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2014