More details on Maj Gen Tariq Khan's senate briefing:
FC IG says tribal system, new FATA cabinet solution to problem
* Maj Gen Tariq tells Senate Committee on Defence FCR cannot be withdrawn
* Says use of military alone will not solve problems in Tribal Areas
* Afghan refugees settled must be repatriated
* Tribal lashkars cannot fight Taliban without support of government
* FATA official says dialogue wont be effective
By Tahir Niaz
ISLAMABAD: The tribal system should be restored and a new FATA cabinet should be formed under the NWFP governor to look after the affairs of the Tribal Areas, Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General Maj Gen Tariq Khan has suggested as a suitable solution to the problems in the region.
This recommendation which was made during a briefing on the Security Operation in FATA on December 18 to the Senate Standing Committee on Defence was part of the committees report on the briefing which was tabled in the Senate on Friday.
The FC inspector general also proposed that FATA MNAs report directly to the NWFP governor which would be a more hands-on approach.
FCR: Gen Tariq told the Senate committee that the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) could not be withdrawn as it is a system that has evolved over centuries.
He also called for more equipment for the FC to facilitate communication and mobility. He said $395 million of US aid had initially been allocated to the force, but the sum had been slashed to $75 and the FC had so far only received equipment worth $30 million.
Military: About the future strategy for the Tribal Areas, Tariq said the use of military alone would not solve the problem. He said a judicial system needed to be in place to deal with the Taliban.
He told the Senate body that Afghan refugees in Pakistan needed to be repatriated. Their comfort zone has risen to the extant that they carry Pakistani ID Cards and passports, he said.
The inspector general said that the sectarian tensions in Kurram Agency were now under control. But said there was still a need to settle long-standing issues of the area through political will and development in the region.
Lashkars: He told the committee members that lashkars had been raised in the Tribal Areas to fight the Taliban, but without proper government support, the tribesmen could not deal with the militant group. He said that following a military operation in Bajaur, the centre of gravity of the militants is now emanating from Waziristan, and if not checked, militancy will continue. He further told the committee that families in Bajaur had been asked by the Taliban to support the group financially.
Contrary to the recommendation by the FC inspector general calling for dialogue to resolve FATA problems, FATA Additional Chief Secretary Habibullah Khan told the committee that talks were not the right way forward. He said, The real question is who should we hold dialogue with ... on what terms, did the militants ask for it and are they willing for a settlement?
He also told the committee that Taliban supply lines and funding were still intact. There is a credibility gap between the government action and public perception, he said. The political parties, civil society and religious leaders are not making a united stand over the issue.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
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Good to hear about the FC pay scale being brought in line with the Army's. I hope more than the 30 million utilized so far gets applied to the FC going forward.