Insight into FATA

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan is a mountainous region of some 27,220km² in the North-West of Pakistan, along the Afghan border. This region is home to an estimated 3.4 million people. Geographically, FATA is arranged into seven tribal aganecies: Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan, South Waziristan. Similarly the six frontier regions are: Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan. It is one of the poorest regions in the country, partly due to its political and social isolation but also due to a legacy of conflict.

The FATA enjoys a special status whereby the president of Pakistan directly administers the FATA through the governor of KPK and his appointed political agents. Access is restricted in FATA, making it especially difficult for foreigners to work and thereby excluding the population from mainstream development.

The political agent plays an important role as a supervisor of development projects. He chairs a development sub-committee which includes government officials to recommend proposals and approve projects. He also serves as project coordinator for rural development initiatives.

FATA’s population is overwhelmingly rural, living on subsistence farming, with many people living below the poverty line. Alongside, the population of FATA is also affected by many health problems. Maternal and child mortality rates are unacceptably high, and malnutrition and infectious diseases are widespread. The FATA suffers from a desperate shortage of skilled workers in general but particularly doctors, technicians and teachers. Many qualified people leave to find work in developed provinces of Pakistan and the Middle East.

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