Development of tribal districts top priority: CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Thursday termed the development of tribal districts as one of the priority areas of his government and jirgas were being organised to address the problems.

“The administration is working to address the issues identified in the first jirga held in this regard, and in the next phase, district-wise jirgas will be held to identify and solve the problems specific to each merged district,” he said in a statement issued here.

The chief minister said that the incumbent provincial government had implemented a policy for the merged districts, whereby recruitments would be made purely based on local domicile in each merged district. “These opportunities are the right of the local people,” he said, and made it clear that this policy would be strictly enforced.

The chief minister clarified that the purpose of halting illegal mining activities in the merged districts was to provide mining opportunities to local people, enabling them to have livelihood opportunities for themselves and their families. “New projects are also being introduced for infrastructure development in the merged districts, prioritizing the construction and rehabilitation of road infrastructure, providing clean drinking water and other facilities specially in the sectors of social services,” he added.

In response to a question, he said that people would be resettled in areas where security clearance has been obtained, and unnecessary check posts are being abolished to alleviate the suffering of the local population. He maintained that funds have been released to reactivate outsourced hospitals in the merged districts.

Gandapur reaffirmed that all promises made by the incumbent provincial government to the merged districts would be fulfilled, as the development of these districts is a vision and dream of Imran Khan that will be realized.

He emphasized that investments would be made in sectors that have the potential to make the province self-sufficient.He termed maintaining law and order in the province, particularly in the tribal districts, as a major challenge, adding that the provincial government was taking pragmatic steps to effectively deal with this challenge in collaboration with relevant departments, institutions, administration, and local leaders.