A tribal province
by
Dr Ghayur Ayub
Describing
Pashtuns on April 26, 1903 at Shahi Bagh Peshawar, Lord Curzon said, “Pathan is
a curious mixture. He is a man of war but he is also a born trader.” He was
talking about Pashtuns’ trading capabilities and comparing them with other
races in India. Had he gone in details he would have mentioned that Pashtuns
lived their lives on three platforms. First, their culture which is broad based
applicable on Pashtuns living anywhere. Second their custom which is narrow
based and change from region to region. Third, their religion which is Islam
engraved in their bones. Unfortunately, religion is mixed with culture and
customs creating social, moral and political dilemmas. The traditional
theologians took advantage of this amalgamation and used it as a firing tool in
social, moral and political fields.
These three
platforms are important when deciding on having a separate tribal province. In
addition, there are other issues essential for good administrative needs, such
as communication links, having a capital city, good education and proper health
facilities to run the new province effectively. On the map, the province will
look like a restless snake lying between Pakistan and Afghanistan inhabiting a
population of 3207095.
After 9/11, FATA
became the most dangerous region in the eyes of the world. The public opinion
in Pakistan is not different either which considers it as the epicentre of
terrorism. Against this background, the government wants to take away its
century old buffer status between the Pakistan and Afghanistan and bring it in
line with other provinces of the country. A committee was constituted under the
leadership of Mr Sartaj Aziz. He worked hard under the most difficult
circumstances and came up with many recommendations including its amalgamation
with KP. I went through the document.
Two prominent
Pashtun leaders, Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman from KP and Achakzai from Baluchistan
opposed it despite the fact that neither of them belong to FATA. Apparently,
Maulana Sahib wants to see it as a separate province keeping his
religious angle in mind. While Achakzai is known at aiming to have an
autonomous region called Greater Afghania which is akin to the wishes of those
Baluch leaders who are striving for independent Baluchistan.
Let me take some
of the issues mentioned above.
Communication
infrastructure means road, rail and air links. When we look at the
serpentine-shape map of FATA we see no road links between the agencies. If
someone wants to travel from one agency to another he has to go to KP and
re-enter the required agency. It means if the government wants to listen to
either Maulana Sahib or Achakzai it has to create proper road network
connecting all the agencies. Easy? Not really. The financial cost will be
unbearable.
Then comes the
rail tracks. The only rail track in FATA runs from Peshawar to Landi Kotal and
that too is non-operative. So, a separate Tribal Province will be a province
with no train services. Train is the cheapest way of communication and goods
movement in Pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan doesn’t have rail link either but that
is substituted by the CPEC. While not all the agencies get benefit from CPEC.
Will it be easy for the federal government to lay rail track in the new
province? I don’t think so?
Then comes the
air link. FATA doesn’t have a decent airport worth of its name that could
accommodate big commercial planes. A new province with no decent airport? It
would need at least one airport in its capital city for big commercial
aeroplanes. Would the government afford to build one?
This brings me
to the next important point of deciding on the capital city. I can’t think of
any city in FATA which can be made the capital. The most prosperous and
populated agency-The Khyber- doesn’t have its capital. The political agent
lives and controls the agency from Peshawar. Similarly, Aurakzai agency is
controlled from Hangu. All the agencies have small towns with very poor
infrastructures but no cities. So, it will be the only province with no capital
city worth a name. Even if the government decides to select one of the towns as
capital city, the big question will arise which town? Every agency will fight
tooth and nail to make its headquarter the capital city. And I tell you it will
not be a minor dispute. It could lead to war like situation between the
agencies. The government wouldn't like to have a new war on its hands.
Now let us come
to the health. There is not a single hospital worth its name in FATA. Zulfiqar
Ali Bhottu wanted to build a medical college in Parachinar and constructed a
hospital for the purpose in mid-seventies. Gen Zia ul Haq transferred all the
funds and built Ayub Medical College in Abbotabad on those funds. I was the
first consultant surgeon posted to Agency HQ Hospital at Parachinar in 1979. It
was a very well planned hospital in those days, but I saw it going down rapidly
because, the then governor, Gen. Fazal Haq ignored it completely freezing most
of its funds. The federal government has to build a hospital or two before
making FATA a separate province. Can it afford it in present financial crunch?
I leave it to your imagination.
It’s the same
story with education. Except for a quality educational institution at Razmak
which is run by the army, the FATA doesn't have a good educational institution.
All the colleges are below standards imparting substandard education. As a
result, all the well-to-do send their children to Peshawar or Islamabad.
Moreover, there is no university in FATA. With such an educational
backwardness, will the government spend enormous amount on upgrading colleges
and building a university or two in the new separate province?
And finally
let's not forget the sectarian conflicts between the agencies. The prominent
being the Kurram and the Aurakzai agencies where Shais have large population.
After 9/11, major clashes occurred between Sunnis and Shias spearheaded by the
clerics of pro-Saudi Deobandi sect and pro-Iran Shias sect respectively. Shias
do not feel secure even living in FATA which is under army control. How could
they live in a separate tribal province run primarily by anti-Shia
establishment? The clashes will escalate leading to an unimaginable bloodshed
never seen before.
If the
government listens to Maulana Sahib or Achakzai, it has to develop proper
infrastructure, build hospitals, medical colleges, education institutes, and
universities. Alternatively, it’s amenable to amalgamate it with KP without
going through inexorable financial and logistic difficulties. Recently, Maulana
Sahib quoted a decision by Tribal Quami Jirga opting for separate province. I
don’t know whether Maulana Sahib knows that there are hundreds of Qaums living
in FATA. How many Qaums took part in that Jirga? Does he know that most of
these Quams don't look eye to eye on premise of being ‘Tarboor’? Tarboor
actually means cousin but in tribal culture it is considered as bitter opponent
or even enemy. Can he imagine what would be the state of a tribal province
where the inhabitants of one agency consider the inhabitants of other agencies
as their enemies? The existing dislike between KP and Punjab will look like a
‘Nok Jok’ between two lovers. I am sure Maulana Sahib knows about it unless he
is looking at it at religious angle. But, then, that too is not very rosy
keeping sectarian hate in view.
There is Persian
proverb which says, ‘Gham Na Dari, Buz Bekhar.’meaning by if you don’t have a
problem buy a goat. A new independent tribal province is like buying a goat.
The end
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