Post-KP-Fata merger

Mulk wants marked improvement in people’s life

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (R) Nasirul Mulk Monday asked the administrations of erstwhile Fata and Pata to take requisite administrative, legal and financial steps for bringing a marked improvement in the life of the people.

He was chairing a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here to review progress on implementation of Fata reforms.

Minister for Law Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, secretary to the prime minister, secretaries of Safron, Finance and Planning Divisions, chief secretary KP, ACS Fata and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan made a detailed presentation on progress in implementation and pointed out various administrative, legal and financial issues needing immediate attention to ensure smooth transition of the merger process after the passage of 25th Constitutional Amendment.

Briefing the meeting about the actions taken so far, the chief secretary said the agencies and frontier regions (FRs) had been re-designated as districts and sub-divisions of KP province and the posts of political agents and assistant political agents re-designated as deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners.

It was informed that with the abolition of Agency Development Fund, collection of all taxes/levies and rahdaries had been stopped.

The meeting was informed that draft plans for extension of judiciary, policing, prosecution and prisons service in the tribal districts had also been prepared.

Member Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) briefed the meeting about tax exemptions and other financial incentives that have been provided to the people of these areas for the next five years.

The secretary finance also briefed the meeting about the financial allocations for the development of region and for ensuring smooth implementation of the merger process.

The prime minister observed that the merger of Fata into KP was a landmark development promising positive impact on addressing the development lag and bringing a marked improvement in the lives of the people.