Poll finds over 50% tribesmen dissatisfied with life in FATA

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Akhtar Amin
PESHAWAR: Over 50 percent tribesmen from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have expressed dissatisfaction with the life in FATA, 34 percent sought integration with NWFP, 23 percent preferred things as they are and 20 percent voiced a preference for a separate province, according to a poll conducted by Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) in September.

The poll was conducted under a project “Communities for Change, Laying the Grass Roots Foundation for Political Reforms in FATA” funded by the German embassy, Islamabad. The poll was an attempt to provide a better understanding of what local people want - allowing their views to influence the policy debate in Peshawar, Islamabad and overseas. The poll of 2,000 adults was conducted in seven tribal agencies and three Frontier Regions of FATA and it included 29.1 percent women.

In the poll, the tribesmen voiced for justice, education and health as the most important services and demanded that the government should provide these services on priority basis. CAMP Chief Executive Naveed Shinwari told Daily Times that FATA lies at the top of the global security agenda. He said Pakistan and international community are actively debating policy options to deal with FATA’s development, governance and security needs. “Poverty, difficult terrain, contested system of governance, cross-border tribal and ethnic connections with Afghanistan, Pashtun traditions and presence of militants create a set of overlapping challenges,” he added.

He said that the key finding of the poll is that over 50 percent tribesmen expressed dissatisfaction with the life in FATA.

On the status of FATA, 34 percent seek integration with NWFP, 23 percent preferred things as they are and 20 percent voiced a preference for a separate province. Over 50 percent want the Political Parties Act be extended to FATA. On terrorism and security issue, 36 percent tribesmen thought negotiating with militant groups was the best way forward, whereas only 15 percent saw the use of military force as a viable option. Nearly 60 percent saw Islamic teachings as against suicide bombings. The causes of suicide attacks were described as western influence 51 percent, unemployment 28 percent, ignorance 25 percent, lack of education 21 percent, and Al-Qaeda 13.3 percent. On human rights, a large proportion rejected practices which compromised women’s rights such as honour killing and forced marriages. Respondents ranked democracy and independent judiciary as important issues affecting human rights in Pakistan. Approximately 50 percent believed that Afghan refugees had negatively affected Pakistan’s economy and undermined its security while 75 percent wanted to see Afghan refugees return to their homeland. On foreign countries, while 60 percent tribesmen wanted to emigrate from Pakistan, views of the US and UK are negative and 45 percent of respondents wished for Pakistan to be more like Saudi Arabia.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_24