which was not dismantled following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, creating a region of people excluded from the country’s legal governance system. Ali highlights that in the contemporary era while residents of FATA are citizens, they are not entitled to any of the rights of Pakistani citizens as provided by the constitution, including security of personhood, equality, and protection from torture by police and security personnel, among others. This is a useful lens for understanding the history of FATA’s relationship with Pakistan, in which the idea of its difference becomes the central argument for governing its people differently. According to Agamben, when the suspension of law actualizes and empowers lawlessness as law, a state of anomie is set in motion. In its sociological definition, anomie characterizes a “breakdown of norms governing social interaction”, which creates conditions of stress and anxiety between community members.35 The creation of the category of third country national detainee with none but arbitrary rights created palpable havoc in the lives of detainees’ families. In their efforts to live under these circumstances of loss and violence, we can observe attempts to restore balance, normality, and coherence as part of their narrativization of how they ‘think’ their loved ones disappeared. They also explained the onset of physical and mental illnesses as a response to estrangement and loss. These were also collective experiences that included shifts in family relationships and changes in circumstances. Hanif Ali’s wife often mentioned her in-laws did not treat her well while he was imprisoned. Most detainees now suffer from chronic physical and mental health problems that continue to remain untreated as they either cannot afford medical treatment or cannot access it, living as they do in remote, underdeveloped areas. The similarities across detainees’ stories reflect the systemic nature of the mistreatment and abuse they suffered, and its long-lasting effects.  Ibid 35 14