PM assures funds for FATA

Asks health minister to visit Thar; directs railways minister to work for doing away with deficit

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday held a meeting with members of the National Assembly hailing from erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to review ongoing development schemes as well as issues related to the tribal areas merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The PM assured the MNAs that the federal government would ensure timely release of funds earmarked for the area while promises made to the residents regarding their share in the National Finance Commission award would be fulfilled.

He said the government would ensure early implementation of the local government system in tribal areas in a bid to ensure maximum utilisation of funds at the local level. He said Fata youth would be provided great employment opportunities in the future.



On the occasion, Fata MNAs complained about inappropriate attitude of some government officers towards the people of the region. To this, the PM assured that all genuine issues of the locals would be resolved at the earliest.

K-P Governor Shah Farman, Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri and other senior government members were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the prime minister also held a separate meeting with the PTI Sindh leadership, including provincial president Ameer Bhutto and provincial general secretary Haleem Adil Sheikh at the Parliament House in Islamabad.

The PM said his government would safeguard the rights of Sindh and its residents. He also expressed his confidence in the new president and the secretary general of the party’s Sindh chapter and directed them to implement the party manifesto and policies. He called the workers an asset for the party.

The prime minister asked the two office-bearers to strengthen the party at the union council level and gear up for the next local government election. He also asked them to ensure continuity of party policies in the province.



The PM also expressed concern over the situation in Thar and directed the federal health minister to visit the area at the earliest and provide relief to the people by addressing their health-related issues.

Moreover, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad also called on the PM in Islamabad.

During the minister, Khan directed Rashid to work round the clock to pull the national institution out of deficit. He also told Rashid that pulling the locomotive industry out of the losses would be an achievement of the government.

The minister pledged that he would bring Pakistan Railways on a par with the best rail services in the world.