A policy statement from the PM in September, as assured in the national assembly by federal minister for states and frontier regions, in response to criticism from PTI benches and 11 MNAs and 12 Senators of Fata, never materialised. But, on December 18, 2017, in a quantum leap, the National Implementation Committee on Fata Reforms, comprising among others, the PM and the COAS, and that is about as high-level as it gets, endorsed the elusive unification, again pursuant to a government policy statement. The agreement includes partial repeal of the Frontier Crimes Regulations, 23 elected members from Fata to sit in KP Assembly after 2018 elections, eventually placing Fata under superior courts’ jurisdiction, and combining office of Fata’s additional chief secretary with that of its proposed Chief Operating Officer for smooth transition. The PML-N, PTI and PPP are agreeable, as are, apparently, the majority of the region’s inhabitants. This normally time-consuming process needs acceleration to fast-track the merger and make it workable.

Source: Pakistan Today December 27, 2017 09:56 UTC