Mainstreaming of tribal areas: Fata to have COO to fast-track reforms

The government has decided to appoint a ‘chief operating officer’ for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in order to ‘fast-track’ the mainstreaming of the region, disregarding all the political pressure against the move. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Committee on the Implementation of Fata Reforms, chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday, an official statement said. Those attending the meeting, included Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Minister Qadir Baloch, Law Minister Zahid Hamid, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz and senior civil and military officials.
The committee took many decisions to expedite the process of implementation of Fata reforms, said the statement issued by the Prime Minister House. Abbasi directed the law minister to fast-track legislative and administrative measures for the mainstreaming of Fata so that the people in the region can have access to the fundamental rights at par with the rest of Pakistan, it added.