By C
Andrew
Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) lies on Pakistan’s western border and covers
an area of 27220 square kilometers and inhabited by a population of 5,001,676
people (according to 2017 census). Its terrain is one of the most difficult in
the world. Harsh environment and historical and cultural factors have made its
populace one of the most rigid and toughest in the world. Love for independence
and bravery are the identity of the area. FATA is traditional and tribal
society where literacy rate is low, development is at infancy, and employment
opportunities are rare. The society in FATA is governed by customs and
traditions. Arms and weapons are considered as part of the dress of males. Revenge dominates all customs and traditions
as it lasts for decades taking lives of people generation after generation.
Tribal fighting, feuds and animosities are the normal business of the day of
the people living in FATA. Despite these facts, FATA was considered as one of
the most peaceful area in the country just as Pakistan’s western border was
thought to be safe for about 55 years since independence of Pakistan. The
authorities never felt a need to deploy armed forces either in FATA or
Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan since 1947.
However,
the situation changed at the dawn of the 21st century. The incident of 9/11
changed the situation in FATA as it did in other parts of the world. On
American pressure, Pakistani government deployed its troops on its border with
Afghanistan and also launched military operations against suspected militants
settled in FATA. The successive attempts – both military and political – to
clear the area from foreign militants did not succeed and various imprudent
policies pursued by Pakistani government sowed the seeds of hatred in the area
towards the state functionaries and institutions including the armed forces.
The reactionary elements took arms against Pakistani state, formed various
militia groups and militant organizations under different banners,
Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) being the most prominent among them. These
militant groups operate either in Afghanistan or Pakistan or in both countries.
Reportedly, US started accusation that FATA provides sanctuaries to Afghan
Taliban fighting against the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. American
government wanted a full fledge military operation either by coalition forces
or Pakistani troops in FATA to root out resistance movement in
Afghanistan. However, Pakistani
government did not cede to this demand. Alternatively, the US government
launched, apparently with the help of Pakistani authorities, a campaign of
drone strikes run by its premier spy agency Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
which has taken lives of over 2500 people and left hundreds others wounded
since 2005. On the other hand they have also stated funding to the militant
groups particularly TTP to start a war against the state of Pakistan which
claimed around 50,000 lives and leaving many more injured in the country.
Another
adventurism of CIA is the establishment of Islamic State of Khorasan Province
(ISKP) in January 2015 with former TTP militant Hafiz Saeed Khan as its leader.
Defunct militants from various terrorist organizations such as TTP, Islamic
Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have not only joined ISKP but also pledged
allegiance to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. According to the Story Maps website, during
2017 in Pakistan, ISKP has carried out attack on the shrine of Sehwan Sharif
and the Police Training College in Quetta, which resulted death of 150 innocent
people. There are several instances which revealed that US spy agency CIA is
supporting terrorist outfits in FATA to carryout terror activities inside
Pakistan such as, a CIA helicopter
evacuated top TTP leadership into Afghanistan before the start of Pakistani
military operation, Terrorists from TTP enjoy safe havens inside Afghanistan
with the help of CIA and RAW, Satellite
mobile phones from a Gulf state were provided to the terrorists of TTP &
Swat, CIA helped RAW establish a base in Afghanistan, No CIA drones ever attacked any of the TTP
& Swat terrorists as they freely called BBC and western media and Nuristan province in Afghanistan has a base
run by CIA, RAW & NDS providing full support to terrorists inside Pakistan.
Recently CIA in collaboration with Ministry of Tribal Affairs Afghanistan
through NDS is funding and patronizing Pashtoon Tehafuz Movement to create
disenchantment and ill feeling among the tribal and Pakistan government.
It was in
this background that after putting up with so much for so long, chief of the
prime intelligence agency of Pakistan ultimately confronted the CIA Director
Leon E. Panetta with some highly classified and irrefutable evidence. Panetta
was startled when Director-General ISI placed the facts before him in Islamabad
on November 20, 2009. The deliberate leaks after the meeting of the spy chiefs
of the two countries spoke of the mind of the ISI. ISI chief had earlier
conveyed the facts about the interference of CIA in acts of terrorism in Pakistan
to the Government but realizing that either the message was not strongly
conveyed to the Americans or it had no desired impact on them, finally put its
foot down and expressed serious concerns over the CIA’s crude interference in
the country’s internal matters. The proof about instances of covert US support
to some hardened militant outfits and terrorist activities they carried out
over the past were presented to Panetta. It was indeed a startling revelation
for the top US spy and a bold maneuver of ISI. This move had surprised Panetta
as the evidence presented was categorically proving that the CIA officials
provide assistance to perpetrators of some of the most serious and deadly
attacks on offices and key persons in Pakistan’s security services. He was told
that in view of the negative impact on Pakistan’s efforts in its war on terror,
the CIA must stop such activities. The clarity with which the information was
meant to be a loud message to Washington and CIA headquarters at Langley that
if they wanted Pakistan’s cooperation in the war on terror; it must give up
playing a double game. Pakistan has publicly expressed concerns over the
freedom enjoyed by the Indian intelligence agency RAW is operating from
Afghanistan. RAW is not only involved in acts of terrorism in FATA but also in
Balochistan. India cannot undertake such wide-scale activities in this region
without the approval and backing of the CIA. The question is: how did India
develop such a huge presence in Kabul?
Peace and
conflict resolution in FATA is in wider interest of the people living in the
area as well as those in the entire country and the World because of having
contiguous border with Afghanistan which has become center of gravity for
global terrorism. American CIA, Israeli MOSSAD, Indian RAW and Afghani NDS have
made a joint base in Afghanistan from where their covert operation not only
being initiated but monitored and controlled as well. So peace and stability is
essential for socio-economic development and prosperity of the people and for
that purpose meddling in FATA by foreign spy agencies particularly CIA must be
seized. Peace and conflict resolution in FATA would not only pave the way for
socio-economic development of the area but would also contribute to the
prosperity of the entire Pakistan as well as the World. It is mentionable that
Pakistan with the help of its Armed Forces has succeeded in bringing peace in
FATA but it is a challenging task to prevent foreign agencies especially CIA to
seize their interference. It is a responsibility
of new incumbent CIA chief most probably Gina Haspel (nominee of President
Trump) to ensure peace in Afghanistan by seizing interference in FATA and other
parts of Pakistan including Balochistan and Karachi.
