Integrating Pakistan’s tribal areas may reduce terror

Subject

Proposed merger of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Significance

A multi-party conference on October 3 in Peshawar called for the merger of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and an end to the draconian special laws governing FATA. A large demonstraton staged in Islamabad on October 9 by parliamentarians from the FATA demanded that the government push through the plans.

Impacts

• Integrating FATA with KP may help curb weapons and narcotics smuggling.
• Pakistan may face protests from tribal communities over the fence it is building along the border with Afghanistan.
• The United States may be less inclined to threaten drone strikes in Pakistan.