UMT Organizes Round Table Conference on Implementation of FATA Reforms: Way Forward
Friday, August 25 2017
The round table conference titled ‘Implementation of FATA Reforms: Way Forward (View from Punjab)’ was organized by the Department of Media and Communication at UMT on August 24, 2017. A good number of experts of the subject, parliamentarians, opinion makers, intelligentsia, government functionaries and representatives of media attended the event and shared their thoughts on the future course of the Federal Government’s reform and how to work out a strategy to move forward. The conference dealt with the theme of taking responsibility for the age-old issue of FATA that had been affecting not only the region but also the whole fabric of the Pakistani society.
Dr Muhammad Aslam, Rector UMT, chaired the conference. On the other hand, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Provincial Minister Finance, Malik Ahmad, spokesman government of Punjab, Munazza Hassan, Member National Assembly (PTI), Khadija Farooqi, Member Provincial Assembly (PML-Q), Sadia Sohail, Member Provincial Assembly (PTI), and senior journalists Qayum Nizami, Sajjad, Salman Abid, Habib Akram, Ghaffar Ahmed, Abid Hussain and others took part in the debate. The host and chairman of the Department of Media and Communication, Dr Mian Hanan, welcome all the distinguished guests who had found time for this momentous program.
Majority of the speakers were of the view that this was the right time and a historic opportunity for mainstreaming the region which should be seized without any further delay; while the procedural issues for the integration can be addressed in due course of time. The five years transition period for an incremental approach for FATA’s merger into KPK was too long, they stated that there were internal and external forces that can potentially sabotage the present willingness and near consensus of the people of FATA for the much needed change and, as a consequence, the process itself if it was not done immediately.
The participants also underscored the need that the people of KPK should be sensitized to prepare for this major development, too. The speakers argued how the provincial contributions in NFC award can help the troubled region out of the current crises and lead it towards an integrated, tolerant and democratic society.
The speakers emphasized that rehabilitation with a special focus on education and health sector could reduce deprivation and inferiority-complexity found among the people of FATA. They said the government without wasting further time should implement the reforms and think how the developed and reformed FATA could lead to greater national consolidation.
