New frontiers
August proved to be an eventful month for the resources-rich Northern Areas and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), with the ruling Pakistan People' s Party (PPP)-led coalition government announcing reforms to introduce self-governance and to respect human rights in the strategically important areas bordering China and Afghanistan, respectively. Both of these territories have long been governed directly by the president and the federal government. Still more egregious, the Constitution of Pakistan does not guarantee basic human rights to these peoples, who are instead governed through a strong and powerful bureaucracy. Inevitably, this has led to a sense of deprivation among the local communities. For the past few years, political unrest and militant violence in these areas have kept alarm bells ringing for Islamabad. In this context, the reforms come as clear recognition by the federal government that the more the status quo remains unchanged, the more the situation in its fragile frontiers will deteriorate.
The geo-strategic and economic role of the two areas has certainly been increasing in importance. Two of the most critical concerns in this regard have been the allegations by some that US presence in Afghanistan amounts to a containment policy for China; and, second, Pakistan's impending energy crisis. Analysts now say the limited autonomy will ultimately pave the way for province-like status for Gilgit-Baltistan, thus allowing the state to tap its energy and other resources. Those in the know add that Beijing will be closely monitoring the situation. Indeed, the decision to approve the self-governance package for the region may not have come as a surprise for the Chinese, whose interests would undoubtedly be best served if Islamabad were able to calm the situation in the areas close to the troubled Xinjiang region.