HISTORICAL PRESPECTIVE
OF FATA.

IF PPP’S CHAIR PERSON Mrs. BeNazir Bhutto’s Petition is accepted to be heard by new born supreme judiciary of Pakistan than it is certain that a verdict in favor of political parties to establish and work in side FATA jurisdictions will be given because already political – religious parties are working inside FATA , they6 had their presence since long in Madersahs & masjids of the area . JUI (F) & Jamait Islami of Qazi Hussain Ahmed have their elected members from that areas, which give these parties un due edge over other parties in political arena of Pakistan.
FATA areas have come long way from 18076 AD & 1901 when these areas and NWFP was created by than viceroy of INDIA lord Curzon , by separating than Punjab province ‘s areas adjacent to Afghanistan and baluchistan.
For readers interested in history here is short glimpse in to history of this region.
Fedrally administered Tribal areas or as we all know by FATA as its acronym, is region in Pakistan sandwiched between and around Pakistan’s North western frontier province and Afghanistan, its population is about 3,341,070 according to 2003 ,UN surveys, population density is about 115.3 Km2, area is about 27,220 Km2, these are seven area who has status of Tribal areas or (FATA), these areas are divided among 7 districts or areas called :
1.
Six out of 7 Agencies have frontiers with Afghanistan only Orakzai-Agency has no land link with Afghanistan.Bajaur Agency
2. Mohmand Agency.
3. Khyber Agency.
4. Orakzai Agency.
5. Kurram Agency.
6. South waziristan Agency.
7. Noth waziristan Agency.
There are five Frontier regions adjacent to Tribal areas called FRs, they are Peshawar FR, Kohat Fr, FR Bannu, FR dera Ismail Khan & FR Tank. They are governed by Governer of NWFP who is nominee of Ferderal government of Pakistan.
The area remains important link between central and south Asia , any one coming to India has passed the Khyber Pass and has to deal with tribes of Khyber may it be Aryans, Huns, Greeks , Arghons, Takhans, Mughals, Abdals, Durranis, Sikhs or English !!
We will review the recent past of the Area , when English started First great game in south and central Asia due to Economic and geo political reasons, in early 19th century almost whole India was under their belt except Sindh, Baluchistan, Now NWFP belt, north west belt and Punjab was under Sikh ruler Ranjeet singh, Sindh and Baluchistan were under Kabul nominally Sindh was a free country under Meer Talpurs of Sindh and baluchistan under their Sardars.
Sindh was annexed in 1843 and Punjab in 1849 finally when they faced humiliation in First Anglo- Afghan Wars, just to ensure their constant access to Kabul and safe passages to their troops to Afghanistan and through them to Central Asia what they got was more than that as areas were rich in agricultural potential.
The wily Britain, became aware of the Tribal temperament of our now tribal belt and realizing their fierce love for independence , did very little to curb them, they just keep them under few obligations and mostly allowed them to rule them selves than a representative administration from centre, just to keep terrain leading to Kabul open., British wanted to keep that terrain open and to use tribal people as buffer against any Afghan invasion from that side.
Tribal area emerged as specially governed area with in North West Frontier Region, which was carved out of undivided colonial province of Punjab on November 9, 1901, by Lord. Curzon, the than Governor General of INDIA for administrative convenience, British decision to carve out a separate province of NWFP was based on realizations that it was difficult to exercise more rigid control administratively over that area than to other areas in INDIA. British officials guided Lord Curzon that due to distance from capital city of Punjab Lahore it is difficult to control these areas effectively . British believed that new province with its Capital in Peshawar could effectively subdue the rebellious Pashtunes through carrot & stick policy of “Gora Sahibans”.
In fact truth is that Governor General Lord Lytton (1876-80) has a dream to “March on Tashkent” and so a plan to institute a new province in frontier belt of India’s North western frontier regions of Peshawar and Baluchistan, answerable directly to central Government of India. Lord Lytton could not materialize his plans but Lord Curzon acted upon already researched and recommended plan to make a new province, Lord Curzon (1899-1905) for that purpose visited Peshawar in the spring of 1901. He held a series of meetings with local elders and leaders that culminated to make this province called NWFP, it was also decided that new province will have two categories of territories , which were to be administered separately : the settled Areas comprising the districts of Hazara , Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan and the Tribal areas comprising the districts of Political agencies of Khyber( established in 1879), the Kurram (1892) and the Malakand Division (1895) which comprises the areas of Dir, Swat and Chitral, at the same time agencies of North and South Waziristan were also created.
So NWFP comprised Settled areas and Non Settled or Tribal areas with two different sets of administrations. This term was also from British legacy , they called areas Settled because of their administration ease and non settled due to their administrative difficulties, settled Areas accepted writ of government and agreed to pay taxes while non settled areas kept their honor (NANG) and refuse to pay any Taxes to government and preferred to keep their independence. The former was called (QALANG) as Syed Akbar S. Ahmed a renowned Anthropologist of INDIA says.
When British took Punjab in 1849 they have to make to devise a new set of governance in Northwestern frontier which had a predominant tribal population. The territory was initially put under direct control of Board of Administration at Lahore and raised to a Division status, under a Commissioner, in 1850. the areas specified in this arrangement were districts of Peshawar, Kohat and Hazara, each had a Deputy commissioner. Bannu and Dera Ismail khan were not in that arrangement, they were part of Leyahh Division of Punjab at that time.
Even with deputy commissioners at these districts British found it hard to contain warring pashtune tribes’ men. When NWFP as province was established in 1901, British made a two tier system of administration for the province one dealing with settled areas which were under Chief Commissioner and other for tribal areas under the Governor General through the same authority, Peshawar was natural choice for both area’s head quarter , placed directly under supervision of Foreign department of government of India. Malakand agency since placed under NWFP, remained a provincial subject while those located with the border of Afghanistan (Durand Line- 1893) become part of Indian foreign affairs and treated a central government ‘s issue.
NWFP administration was different than in rest of India, British took care not to disturb the existing tribal systems in both areas of frontier and infact did every thing to to ensure perpetuation of the highly iniquitous feudal system obtaining in the areas, for instance khans in settled areas and Maliks in tribal areas become power colonial instruments of state administration. As in the British principalities, the landed gentry in settled areas became power full instrument of revenue collection, maintenance of Law & order and spreading European traditions in few cities of new province. Urban administration was garrisoned by the Army, stationed in cantonments of few urban Centers, Apart from this a small but brutal police force was established and placed in small & scattered police stations mostly in urban areas, People in rural areas were controlled through the Jirga system under the local administration. The Khans were patronized through by the British government and Titles of Khan Bahadur, Nawab, Knight Hood and even cadre services were awarded to to them and their sons and scions to ensure their loyalties to colonial authorities.The Khans maintained liaisons with local authorities and even collected information on their behalf on important matters for government.
The Maliks were installed as the counter part of Khans in Tribal areas , they extended same services to Political agents who in turn extended government’s honors, courtesies, and favors to men and tribes of their choices. Political agent was government’s representative in areas with vast and kingly powers at his disposal, he was all power full to maintain law and order in his agency or area. Comparison to officers any where else in India.
Maliks, Tribes and individuals were even helped monetarily to keep them sincere with RAJ. they were responsible for maintaining security infra structure in their areas & helped to maintain peace in their areas.
The British administration in NWFP operated in three forms, First The Civil administration dealing with day to day administration and policy matters, maintenance of peace and general administration, took priority over other services, this was looked after initially by Chief Commissioner and later by Governor, assisted by a ladder of Civil and Military beaurocrasy.
The second in order was the Criminal affairs, initially controlled by judicial commissioner, and later on by High court and Civil courts at lower side. The Third in order was Fiscal Side which was dealt by the revenue commissioner whose collection during colonial raj was limited to income from agricultural products, excise and few other duties that also in settled areas of NWFP.
The Judicial administration devised a special rule for governing NWFP – The Frontier Crimes Regulations in 1872. The FCR was periodically revised as and when the need arose. First in 1887,than in 1901 to cope with changing requirement. It limited the powers of Judiciary and empowered Deputy Commissioner and Political agents, they also had powers to institute a Jirga, comprising a few elders nominated and presided over by DC or PA them selves to adjudicate any civil or criminal nature cases, its jurisdiction extended to Pathans and Baluchis of Settled and Tribal areas in NWFP & Baluchistan.
The nature of cases referred to Jirga mostly were of imperial concern to justify coercive exercise against a tribe or an individual who posed or was likely to pose administrative problems for state, it also served as penal code in many tribal feuds, murders, violation of tribal customs, debts, claims, matrimonial or land disputes, etc in this difficult area.
The British tried to hold effective control at that area which was corridor to Central Asia which was centre of the game for English minds, they tried to enforce control over tribal belt on the south east side of the DURAND–LINE, Thus the British created a new Military force comprising roughly one third of local tribes men with different names like Levy, Khasadars, Scouts, Militias, Rifles etc etc, Militia was Frontier constabulary later on. These forces were stationed in garrisons in and around each agency Headquarters, like garrisons were established at Shagai for Khyber agency, at Miramshah for North Waziristan, Wana for South waziristan, Malakand, Khar for Bajaur Agency, Parachinar for Kurram agency and Shabqadar for Mohmand Agency.
Mostly British Army officers from Indian Army led these forces, except the Frontier constabulary which was established later than these forces but received officers from Police as a policy, The two third men for these levies were imported from Indian regiments. Wana & Razmak were later on became regular cantonments of Indian army.
People of North west frontier regions of British India never welcomed these changes and even creation of new province of NWFP and various dissectory measures by British to make newer regions, agencies , Divisions and districts were largely un welcomed.
Hindues were an elite class in those regions, they had education, business and liaisons with authorities, they were urban elite of Frontiers they did not liked separation from Punjab , they wanted merger with it instead. Many in Hazara and Dera Ismail Khan were also against the decision. The Muslim leader ship in Frontiers were traditionally averse and against any decisions taken by British. Even today many bemoan against the British who Draw many lines on Pashtun Lands and divided them in to NWFP, Baluchistan, Tribal Agencies and above all “Durand-Line” , even today when I was writing these lines President Hamid Karazai of Afghanistan was talking against Durand Line(1893 -2007) , which is now international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan , he was telling his views to international news men that Pashtunes have never accepted this line as Dividing line among Pashtunes of both sides, they are against such boundaries!!
One the one hand he speaks against such lines and on other hand he cries on insurgency from other side of the line.


END OF PART ONE.
BY.

SILENT SUFI.

silentsufi@gmail.com
8.8.2007