Abstract
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) remained as ‘no men’s land’ since the
times of the British rule and was governed under the Frontier Crime Regulation
(FCR), a draconian law based on collective responsibility of the tribesman. The nonintegration of FATA has kept it backward and deprived it from the fruits of a
civilized life on one hand while on the other hand; it remained open for the
intruders from the outside world. For instance, the Taliban and terrorists found a
safe haven in FATA after the American attack on Afghanistan because of the
absence of direct administrative system there. Their cadres included not only the
tribal madrassa students but also the Afghans, Arabs and Uzbeks who have not only
hijacked FATA but also posed a potential threat to the rest of the country. In order
to counter the menace of the Taliban and terrorists, Pakistan’s army launched
various operations and proclaimed successes but such claims were usually followed
by a fresh wave of terrorist and suicide attacks in the country. For a permanent
solution to the problem and for the security of the road project which is being
constructed from Xinxiang in the north-west China to Gwadar port in Baluchistan
under the newly signed CPEC agreement with China, integration and mainstreaming
of FATA with KP is indispensable which automatically will help in closing the
nurseries of such unwelcomed Taliban and terrorist outfits.
