Uplift of tribal areas top govt priority, PM assures Fata MPs

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the development in tribal areas is the top priority of the government and efforts are being made to complete the merger process without any further delay.

Talking to a delegation of Fata members of Parliament Tuesday at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) he said that the tribal people had faced many difficulties and problems and officers should set their direction and should play their due role in solving such problems. The PM said tribal people had right on the minerals and income generated on this count should be spent on the construction and development of the area. He said that the government is also striving to establish local government system in Fata.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his displeasure about the attitude of bureaucracy towards the people of tribal areas and has asked it to mend its conduct.

The premier assured the legislatures from Fata that change in the lives of tribal areas has been objective of his government. The purpose of introducing local system in tribal area is to provide funds to the representatives of the people so that they should spend the money on the fellow people of the area, he added.

The prime minister assured them that the government would strive for realising the money dedicated in the NFC Award for the tribal people and for the purpose it would coordinate with the provincial governments. The government will also try to ensure that the funds allocated in the PSDP should be disbursed to the tribal areas timely.

Imran Khan assured the leaders from Fata that development, provision of health facilities and education in the area would become hallmark of new dispensation and youth of the area would also get employment in other parts of the country.

Governor KP Shah Farman Ali, Federal Minister Pir Syed Nurul Haq Qadri, Advisor to the Prime Minister Arbab Shahzad Khan, MNAs Guldad Khan, Gul Zafar Khan, Sajid Khan, Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, Munir Khan Orakzai, Sajid Hussain Turi, Jawad Hussain, Muhammad Jamaluddin, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Shakoor were also present in the meeting.