The Problem of FATA

The Argument:

"..., if we can't win Sovereignty or at least autonomy for ourselves,
then why do we drag others Pakhtuns permanently to this Pakistani
quagmire and are insistent on making them salves for eternity.

We know that neither greater population or higher education could help
the people of Be,"

My REPLY

A commonsense answer to this might be that our representative Pashtun
nationalist parties ANP and PMAP want sovereignty for Pakistan and
autonomy for Pashtuns by trying to clean the Augean Stables of
Pakistani politics through conformist political approach and through a
meaningless silence about the history of the historical East Afghan
Land’s merger with Pakistan. . As the people of FATA are also Pashtuns
so they fall under the same category.

If you want to unite NWFP, Pashtun areas of Baluchistan and Attock and
Mianwali within a Pakistani Federation the next step will be to unite
FATA and recognize the Durand Line once and for all provided
Afghanistan has no objections.

So ultimately the ball will be in the court of Afghanistan. If
Afghanistan claimed its lost territories a nation wide stir will be
created within Pakistan and internationally. Pashtuns in Pakistan will
reject the conformists and radical political forces will evolve.

Coming to the present scenario the merger of FATA with Northern
Pashtunkhwa is impossible legally, constitutionally and politically.
ANP is a disorganized mob led by Asfandiyar Wali Khan whose sole aim
is to save their politics (political legacy) and government. They have
a short history of raising such non-issue in order to appease Punjab
and the establishment while the truth is that the party’s
psychological influence and discipline is restricted only to a handful
of power holders and the government is extremely corrupt while
carrying a symbiotic relation with the federal government led by PPPP.
The fate of the later is also in jeopardy due to Punjabi dominated
media and establishment.

The crux of the matter is that any constitutional amendments from the
current assemblies are unacceptable. Whether it is the fate of FATA or
the problem of Baluchistan a new social contract should be emphasized
upon. An interim Constitutional Assembly should be elected under this
government whose sole aim would be to debate and prepare a new federal
constitution for Pakistan. The people of FATA should also be given
representation in the constitutional assembly and they should be given
an opportunity to debate the future of Pakistan and their own status.
--
p.s. (This is just to float an idea and should not be taken against ANP)
Muhammad Arif)