Implications of Reforms for Erstwhile FATA: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

The FATA reform process is not a one-time exercise that could be completed through certain legal and administrative action but is a multi-dimensional process with short, medium and longer-term dimensions. The government has set up an 11-member task force to speed up the implementation process and pay special attention to the proposed legal reforms, FATA’s development and the security mainstreaming of FATA. To oversee this process, a high-powered National Implementation Committee, set up in 2017, is tasked to regularly review the progress of the FATA reform on the basis of periodical reports of the Task Force. The proposed reforms packages, besides envisaging reforms at different spheres, also aims to bring bringing about brighter socio-economic prospects to the tribal areas. It could be said that the reforms are also pivoted around boosting the socio-economic status of the tribal people. This paper presents a critical analysis of the merger plan and also critically examines the implications of reforms for FATA.