Pakistan moves to bring tribal belt into mainstream

by Sajjad Tarakzai



ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari unveiled political reforms in the country's tribal belt Friday in a bid to extricate the lawless region from the grip of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

Pakistan's seven federally administered tribal areas (FATA) have become a stronghold for hundreds of extremists who fled after the US-led invasion toppled the hardline Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.

"From today political activities will be started and be allowed in FATA," Zardari told senior politicians in a speech marking the 62nd anniversary of independence.

Since British rule in the 19th century, political activities have been banned in FATA, where politicians were subject to arrest. Zardari's announcement was seen as an effort to draw the lawless region closer into national politics.

"In the long run we must defeat the militant mindset to defend our country, our democracy, our institutions and our way of life," Zardari was quoted as saying by state news agency APP during his overnight address.

Although his civilian government is weak, Zardari is a key ally in US President Barack Obama's strategy to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where 100,000 US and NATO troops are deployed.

Pakistan's fight against militants was given a boost last week by the reported death of public enemy number one, Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud, in a US missile attack on his South Waziristan tribal stronghold.

Mehsud's Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan movement appears to have been thrown into turmoil following his presumed death and analysts have urged Pakistan to now bolster efforts to eliminate militants in tribal strongholds.

Pakistan has waged countless military operations in the tribal belt, but talk of a major ground campaign in South Waziristan has so far come to nothing.

Although some people waving green and white Pakistani flags took to the streets on Friday, public celebrations for independence day have been muted in recent years over fears of extremist attack.

Zardari's spokesman presented the reforms as an historic achievement that would also relax harsh judicial detentions that would grant "basic human rights" to the estimated three million people living in the tribal areas.

"This is a revolutionary change. This shows the government is serious in tackling the problem of militancy at its source," Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

"To date only some religious parties were active in the tribal region, doing politics in the garb of religion and using mosques to promote their agenda.

"This was inducing militancy in the tribes," he said.

Babar said the local administration chief would no longer have the power to detain anyone without recourse to judicial authority, and that women and children would be exempted from arrest.

Pakistan has been hit hard by Islamist extremists, who have increasingly carried out attacks within the country rather than just using tribal areas as a base to strike US troops and the Western-backed government in Afghanistan.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in bombings since July 2007. Attacks on Sri Lankan cricketers in March wiped out hopes of hosting international sport and only an IMF bailout last year averted a balance of payments crisis.

But there was muted welcome from FATA tribesman to news of the reforms.

Wadood Afridi, a tribal leader in Khyber, which is rife with militancy and lies on the supply line for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, opposed the move to allow political parties to operate in the belt.

"This will create chaos in the region," Afridi told AFP.

"The jirga system, under which tribal chiefs decide cases on the basis of tradition, should be restored. People should also have the option of going to an Islamic court for speedy justice," he said.

Last April, Pakistan launched a blistering assault against Taliban militants challenging the writ of the government after securing a deal for Islamic courts in northwestern districts Buner, Lower Dir and Swat.