I fear a greater reprisal in what you suggest then in what Imran Khan is suggesting ! If I may be allowed to quote, from memory, a conversation I was having with Icarus (someone whose served in those areas) : Shoving a dysfunctional system down their (the people of FATA) throats will lead to a reprisal. They are being eased into the mainstream slowly (we gave them the right to vote in the '90s & now there is talk of replacing the FCR with the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as it is in the provinces of Pakistan). In the meantime remarkably their Jirga system, though having some stomach turning down sides, has ensured that their areas are largely crime free. There is bound to be a reprisal. Its all good to be idealistic & I support that in principle but I don't the time is now to accelerate the integration; I think another 2 decades would be needed. In the meantime, as Icarus, maintained the Tribal Lashkars along with the Frontier Corp are more than capable of handling the insurgents & that the Army is gradually being recalled from those areas as more & more control is given to the Local Tribals & the Paramilitary Forces to maintain law & order over there. I think Imran Khan is partially correct in that, no one, accept the people of the Tribal Areas, themselves can ensure that peace prevails there. To that end a disengagement from the US led WOT & a realignment of Our WOT is the call of the hour both for the purpose of perceptions & because its high time to recognize that our aims & objectives are not going to be honored by either the Americans or the Afghan Governments & to that end lets leave no stone unturned to bring the Tribal People on board ! Give them livelihood & withdraw from theirs areas (as we seem to be) by giving control over to them & the FC (which is predominantly recruited from the same Tribals); by doing this you would have achieved two things : 1) you would have shown them sincerity in that you genuinely care about their welfare...hence the development projects & giving them livelihood, & 2) a person with some means of livelihood, a family of his own & the promise of a future will think a million times before picking up the Ak-47 or strapping on a suicide vest & ramming into the nearest military check post.