PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced his plan to carve out two districts from the volatile South Waziristan region after settling land disputes among local tribes while addressing a ceremony in Dera Ismail Khan.
Once part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, South Waziristan was among the seven tribal districts that were merged with the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018.
According to the 2017 census, the region has a total population of 679,185 which occupies 6,619 square kilometers of territory.
South Waziristan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, is also the birthplace of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant network that emerged in 2007.
“Since I am in Dera Ismail Khan, I think it is necessary for me to announce that there is a huge problem in South Waziristan where the Wazir and Mehsud tribes live,” the prime minister told the gathering that was also attended by senior members of the two clans. “They want to divide South Waziristan in two districts and I announce today that we will do it for them. But I have told [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister] Mahmood Khan that we first need to resolve land disputes between them before creating these districts.”
Commenting on the development, Naseerullah Khan Wazir, member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly from South Waziristan district, said it was the right decision, though he added the district should be divided along administrative, not tribal, lines.
“I believe that the demarcation of the two proposed administrative units should be carried out first,” he continued. “The land disputes can be tackled at a later stage amicably. It will also help improve security in the area and result in social development.”
The decision was also applauded by Senator Dost Muhammad Mehsud who endorsed the prime minister’s approach to land disputes as well.
“The settlement of land disputes should be a prerequisite to the demarcation of the two districts,” he said. “If the government manages to resolve the outstanding disputes, it will be in a better position to divide the land.”
The prime minister said his decision would be beneficial for the area’s governance, adding that it would improve service delivery in the two administrative units.
Rehmat Khan, an analyst from South Waziristan who previously served as additional inspector general police, said the government’s plan would improve the security situation of the area.
He added that most government departments had their offices in Tank, a small settlement in South Waziristan, and much of the rest of the area was remotely administered by them.
Khan maintained all the offices of police, judiciary and district administration should be shifted to the proposed administrative units to make things easier for their residents.
“This decision will surely have a positive impact on security and development of the restive region,” he continued. “People living in remote areas face severe problems while trying to reach out to the district administration offices.”