Situation in Tribal Areas of Pakistan: Causes, Consequences and the Way Forward

Activity: Public Seminar

Key Speaker: Lt. Gen. (R) Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai, former Governor of NWFP;

Discussants: Tayyab Siddiqui, former Ambassador; Dr. Razia Sultana, Asst. Professor of History at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Prof. Raja Ehsan Aziz, Political Analyst and H.E. Oybek Arif Usmanov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan.

Chair: Senator Barrister Saadia Abbasi.

In order to examine and stimulate debate on the situation of the tribal areas of Pakistan, a seminar on “FATA Situation; Causes, Consequences and the Way Forward” was held at IPS on December 02, 2008. Lt. Gen. (R) Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai, former Governor of NWFP, was the keynote speaker while Senator Barrister Saadia Abbasi chaired the session. The discussants include Tayyab Siddiqui, former Ambassador; Dr. Razia Sultana, Asst. Professor of History at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Prof. Raja Ehsan Aziz, Political Analyst and H.E. Oybek Arif Usmanov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan.

Elaborating the social, economic and political milieus of tribal society and spelling out the reasons and circumstances of transforming this peaceful region into a ‘threat zone’ for the whole world in his enlightening and thought provoking presentation Mr. orakzai underscored that FATA had remained peaceful and stable even in the era of Afghan war against former Soviet Union and during the fierce fight between various Afghan factions in 90’s.

He iterated that the tribal population could, in no way, be termed as fundamentalists and terrorists. “They are friendly, hospitable, committed to their principles of honour and dignity, devoted Muslims but not at all fundamentalists. Till March 2004, I had not even heard about militant Taliban in FATA,” he maintained.

Mr. Orakzai, who has also served as the Peshawar Corps Commander at the time when Afghanistan was invaded, enlightened the audience about the warm welcome received the armed forces by the tribal people and about the commitment and vigor in the tribal areas to defend the Western borders of Pakistan from any foreign intervention, when the situation across the Durand Line deteriorated. “Even an area of about 5000 square kilometers was opened whole heartedly for Pakistani forces which had always remained inaccessible in the past,” he told.

He noted that the real cause of turbulence and tumult in the region was the ‘unjustified’ presence of foreign forces in the neighboring state coupled with the predominantly military strategy to accomplish their objectives in sheer disregard with the local dynamics of the region.

“NATO and US forces have been launching military operations without even intimating Pakistani authorities and this had resulted in deportation of Afghan militants into Pakistani areas,” he informed the audience. He was of the view that because of wrong policies of the world powers and the flawed tactics of the allied forces in Afghanistan, “people of the tribal areas, nay the whole Pakistan have become victims” instead of allies in war on terror. Pakistan has paid huge costs for acting as frontline state which is believed to be an American war in the common perception.

“Can one dare question those who ask Pakistan to do more as to what the good have the allied armies of thirty nine countries achieved in Afghanistan in the past seven years in Afghanistan?,” he wondered.

Former Governor also explained the plan initiated in 2006 for the sustainable development of the area and the huge potential in the field of minerals and other natural reserves. He deplored that no government in Pakistan had seriously attempted to bring tribal areas into national mainstream. While proposing the way forward, he recommended the revival of Grand Peace Jirga with redefined and broadened mandate, initiation of massive development work in the region and the opening of job opportunities for the tribal youth.

He stressed that dialogue should precede the military, and the military course of action must be “specific” and “based on credible intelligence” to avoid collateral damage. He strictly rejected the use of air power and warned that this could result even more disaster.

Dr Razia Sultana said Pakistan and the US should review the terms of engagement vis-à-vis Afghanistan and FATA and shape and execute rather more holistic policy to have any positive outcome in the tribal areas as well as Afghanistan. She stressed the need to de-link Taliban and Al Qaeda and take the Taliban, the real stakeholder of the issue, on board in any negotiation process in order to have peace in the region.  

Tayyab Siddiqui said withdrawing from the current policy and adopting the policy of holding dialogues were necessary to have any positive fallout in Afghanistan adding Pakistan should put forward a case before the world community that since terrorism was an international menace, the whole world must come forward to deal with this problem. He regretted that Pakistan paid a heavy price of joining the war on terror in human and economic terms. “According to a report of the ministry of Finance, Pakistan suffered PKR 2.1 trillion in this war” he quoted.

Prof. Raja Ehsan Aziz, dilating upon the post 9/11 Afghanistan, said that the massive corruption and the collateral damage were the hallmarks of the current Afghanistan, which had its fall out in Pakistan’s tribal areas as well. “At present Afghanistan is one of the top 10 corrupt countries of the world,” he noted. Referring to a world opinion poll, he said that in 2001 only three counties supported the military intervention in Afghanistan and this number increased from three to just six [countries] in July 2008. 

Ambassador of Uzbekistan, Oybek Arif Usmanov maintained that the menace of terrorism was not a regional but a global phenomenon and it needed to be dealt with at international level. “Terrorism has no religion and no state” and no religion or country should be responsible for it, he argued.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies, Professor Khurshid Ahmad said that unanimous resolution passed in the joint session of Parliament provided an unambiguous guideline for handling the situation in the tribal belt and needed to translate into action forthwith.
Concluding the session, Barrister Sadia Abbasi emphasized the need to remove the trust deficit between the people and state institutions including Parliament and Army by taking practical and efficacious measures in order to improve the law and order situation in the country, especially in FATA.