ISLAMABAD:
The government declared in the Senate on Monday that the issue of
militancy will not be allowed to drag on for five years and, if
necessary, decisive action will be taken against the militants.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch assured the House that the government was trying its utmost to address the issue of terrorism through talks but, if need arose, would go to any extent to restore peace in Pakistan.
He was responding to the unanimously-adopted resolution that called upon the government to prepare and make public a workable plan for Fata to cleanse it of the militants network, provide compensation to the victims of militancy, relief and rehabilitation of IDPs and a massive programme for the socio-economic uplift of the people.Senators Afrasiab Khattak and Farhatullah Babar had moved the resolution during the last session, which was adopted unanimously on Monday after the government did not oppose it.
Speaking on the matter, Khattak noted that reports of fighting were not emanating from Somalia or Sudan but from Fata, where people had no rights but the militants, local as well as those from Uzbekistan, Chechnya and other countries, were at full liberty to target the people in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan.
The senator from the Awami National Party said that the situation was so bad that today Pakistan did not enjoy good relations with its four neighbours and the prime reason was the presence of the network of militants on its soil, who had virtually occupied it. Khattak said Fata was being used as a battleground, as the state could not ensure its sovereignty there, whereas it was incumbent upon it to establish its writ wherever it was challenged.
“The killers and the victims remain unknown in Fata. No one keeps record of how many have been killed so far and injured. No government representative has ever gone there to offer Fateha and give compensation to the victims,” he lamented.
It is unfortunate, he said, that the state has always treated Fata as a periphery and its people as its subjects not as citizens and never a piece of legislation was enacted for their betterment.
He also described the extremely poor state in which the internally displaced persons (IDPs) had been living for decades, particularly for the last 10-15 years, who could not return to their homes and continued to suffer due to militancy. He added there were no health and education facilities for the children of IDPs and the only option left with many of them was to join militancy.
Khattak came down heavily on the Fata Secretariat, which he billed as a source of massive corruption denying any benefit to the people of tribal areas. He proposed an apology should be tendered to these people for the treatment meted out to them for so long, as even today, no court or legislature had been set up there and hence Fata was treated like a colony.
Qadir Baloch conceded that whatever the ANP senator said was absolutely correct and it was also a reality that Fata was never treated as a part of Pakistan. Had these issues been addressed properly, things would not have reached the present stage.
About the demand for cleansing Fata of militants, the minister said that several operations were launched for this purpose in the past and the government with complete sincerity now wanted to resolve this issue through talks but would deal with the local and foreign militants sternly, if need arose.
The minister spoke about a comprehensive plan of action regarding the IDPs, which was nearing completion and then would be tabled in parliament for approval. He said Fata would need a mini-Marshal Plan for rehabilitation after restoration of peace there.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch assured the House that the government was trying its utmost to address the issue of terrorism through talks but, if need arose, would go to any extent to restore peace in Pakistan.
He was responding to the unanimously-adopted resolution that called upon the government to prepare and make public a workable plan for Fata to cleanse it of the militants network, provide compensation to the victims of militancy, relief and rehabilitation of IDPs and a massive programme for the socio-economic uplift of the people.Senators Afrasiab Khattak and Farhatullah Babar had moved the resolution during the last session, which was adopted unanimously on Monday after the government did not oppose it.
Speaking on the matter, Khattak noted that reports of fighting were not emanating from Somalia or Sudan but from Fata, where people had no rights but the militants, local as well as those from Uzbekistan, Chechnya and other countries, were at full liberty to target the people in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan.
The senator from the Awami National Party said that the situation was so bad that today Pakistan did not enjoy good relations with its four neighbours and the prime reason was the presence of the network of militants on its soil, who had virtually occupied it. Khattak said Fata was being used as a battleground, as the state could not ensure its sovereignty there, whereas it was incumbent upon it to establish its writ wherever it was challenged.
“The killers and the victims remain unknown in Fata. No one keeps record of how many have been killed so far and injured. No government representative has ever gone there to offer Fateha and give compensation to the victims,” he lamented.
It is unfortunate, he said, that the state has always treated Fata as a periphery and its people as its subjects not as citizens and never a piece of legislation was enacted for their betterment.
He also described the extremely poor state in which the internally displaced persons (IDPs) had been living for decades, particularly for the last 10-15 years, who could not return to their homes and continued to suffer due to militancy. He added there were no health and education facilities for the children of IDPs and the only option left with many of them was to join militancy.
Khattak came down heavily on the Fata Secretariat, which he billed as a source of massive corruption denying any benefit to the people of tribal areas. He proposed an apology should be tendered to these people for the treatment meted out to them for so long, as even today, no court or legislature had been set up there and hence Fata was treated like a colony.
Qadir Baloch conceded that whatever the ANP senator said was absolutely correct and it was also a reality that Fata was never treated as a part of Pakistan. Had these issues been addressed properly, things would not have reached the present stage.
About the demand for cleansing Fata of militants, the minister said that several operations were launched for this purpose in the past and the government with complete sincerity now wanted to resolve this issue through talks but would deal with the local and foreign militants sternly, if need arose.
The minister spoke about a comprehensive plan of action regarding the IDPs, which was nearing completion and then would be tabled in parliament for approval. He said Fata would need a mini-Marshal Plan for rehabilitation after restoration of peace there.
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