INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PAPER

NATIONAL MANAGEMENT COLLEGE, LAHORE

91ST NATIONAL MANAGEMENT COURSE

EMERGENCE OF FATA AS A GEO POLITICAL FAULT LINE OF THE WORLD IMPLICATIONS FOR PAKISTAN AND THE WAY FORWARD
By
AHMED YAR KHAN (District Management Group) A paper submitted to the Faculty of the National Management College, Lahore, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the 91st National Management Course. The contents of this paper are the end product of my own research and reflect my own personal views and are not necessarily endorsed by the College.

Signature Date:-----------------Paper supervised by: Mr. Muhammad Ishfaq Khattak Directing Staff

PREFACE
I express my deep gratitude to my Faculty Advisor, Mr. Muhammad Ishfaq Khattak, for his valuable guidance in the preparation of this Individual Research Paper. The assistance rendered by FATA Secretariat, Government of NWFP and Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Islamabad is acknowledged with profound regards which helped a lot for this research paper. I am also thankful to the assistance provided by the library staff of the National Management College and my colleagues from Government of NWFP, Pakistan Naval War College and PAF Air War College in provision of relevant research material.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The tribal areas of Pakistan though extremely poor and backward have played an important role in shaping the history of South Asia. As a gateway to Indo-Pak Sub-Continent, FATA along the borders with Afghanistan had been used by traders and invaders. The geo-strategic importance of this area has attracted the attention of the modern world as well. The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the recent US-Led War on Terror has once again brought these areas into the headlines. The history of the tribal areas is the history of gallantry and chivalry. The inhabitants of this area are extremely patriotic and have offered countless sacrifices for Pakistan. 9/11 affected the whole world. It led to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq by the US. Pakistan seized the opportunity of reviving of close ties with US by agreeing to be a frontline state in the fight against terrorism. But at the same time, the risks involved in this cooperation have put the country to fight for its own survival. War against terrorism has been focused in Afghanistan and adjoining FATA. The crisis emanating from 9/11 brought into sharp focus the linkage between militant Islam and terrorism. The West perceives Islamic militancy as a threat to its security and value system. The current scenario has been further complicated by the nexus between Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Resultantly FATA has developed into a new geo-political fault line of the world. The visionary strategy being pursued by the Government will surely lead FATA to destined ends of endless successes and achievements in all facets of socio-economic development. The root cause of the problem remains the poverty, lack of education and isolation of these areas from the settled one. This research paper explores the history of the area, highlights the issue and discusses the implications of the present scenario on Pakistan. It also suggests measures required to resolve the crisis and establish the writ of the Government in FATA.

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ABBREVIATIONS
AD ANA BC CIA ETIM FATA FC FCR GOP GWoT ISAF ISI MMA MOSSAD NAP NATO NGO NWFP PML(N) PPP PRT RAW Sq km TNSM TTP UK UN US WTC Anno Domini Afghan National Army Before Christ Central Intelligence Agency East Turkestan Islamic Movement Federally Administered Tribal Areas Frontier Constabulary Frontier Crimes Regulation Government of Pakistan Global War on Terror International Security Assistance Force Inter-Services Intelligence Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal The Institute of Intelligence and Special Operations National Awami Party North Atlantic Treaty Organization Non Government Organization North West Frontier Province Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Pakistan Peoples Party Provincial Reconstruction Team Research and Analysis Wing Square Kilometer Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan United Kingdom United Nations United States World Trade Center

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PREFACE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ABBREVIATIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Statement of Problem Significance of Study Review of Literature Methodology Historical Background Geographical Location and Strategic Importance Pashtunwali Pre-Colonial FATA FATA During Colonial Period Post Colonial Period Till Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Page ii iii iv v 1-2 2 2 2 2-3 3 3-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-10

SECTION-I Emergence of FATA as Geo-Political Fault Line 1.1 1.2 1.3 Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Emergence of Mujahideen and its Impact on FATA Post Soviet Withdrawal Scenario till 9/11 11 11 11-12 12-13

SECTION-II 9/11 and Global War on Terror (GWoT) 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Taliban Al-Qaeda Nexus Role-Interest of other States Role of Non-State Actors Arrival of ISAF in Afghanistan Drone Attacks 14 14-16 16-19 19-20 20-21 21-22

SECTION-III FATA as epicenter of world terrorism and implications for Pakistan 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Pakistans Role in Global War on Terror Effect of GWoT on Security Situation Short Term Implications Long Term Implications 23 23-24 24-25 25-28 28-29 30 31-33 34

CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY

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