The Role of a Civil Society at Different Levels in Ex-FATA’s Peace, Prosperity and Development

Abstract

Ex-Fata is an isolated part of the Pakistan till merger with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but after merger the region is rapidly moving forward to be an open, free and integrated part of the Pakistani Community thereby bringing positive hope and expectation to the tribal people and democratic forces in the country. With the pace at which changes are taking place in the region is a major challenge to the government. As a result the government becomes consciously aware of the importance of citizen engagement in all sectors for better governance and stability in the region. Primarily it is a qualitative study investigating and analysing the role of civil society in promoting peace, prosperity and development in Ex-FATA. However, this study contends that, despite their essential and substantial contributions, Civil Society contributions were largely restricted to social humanitarian objectives rather than bringing about political change as a result of harsh and systematic restrictions by the political pundits. Following the recent systematic change in the political environment has opened up new possibilities for civil society to engage more effectively across the country’s socio-economic spectrum. The Author concludes that civil society still lacks the ability and human resources required to create a more organised and collaborative force capable of achieving successful and vibrant change in the areas of democracy, good governance, peace, prosperity and development in the region.