PM Imran assures development funds for tribal districts

Prime Minister Imran Khan assured on Monday the provision of funds for the socio-economic development of tribal districts of Khyber Pkhtunkhwa (K-P), saying that the former Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) lagged behind in development.

Addressing the tribal elders after inaugurating Nahakki Tunnel and Sheikh Zaid Road in Mohmand district, Imran, welcoming the initiation of intra-Afghan dialogue process and hoped for a successful outcome of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

“A peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan besides stability of the entire region,” the prime minister told the gathering in Ghalanai, the district headquarters of Mohmand. “Peace in Afghanistan will open new vistas of opportunities for the people of tribal districts.”

Imran said the tribal districts lagged behind in development and it was the government’s focus to establish industries in the region for export of goods to Afghanistan and beyond to the Central Asian states. “Border markets are also being set-up to provide opportunities to locals,” he added.

Referring to the government’s efforts, Imran said the uplift of weaker segments of the society and the development of backward areas of the country was a prime objective. “The planning ministry has been instructed to provide development funds to the [tribal] areas,” he added.

Elaborating further, the prime minister said that enemies of Pakistan were trying to stoke anarchy in the tribal districts and were opposed to the merger of the former Fata with K-P, hence, the government “will leave no stone unturned” about the development of the region.

“Certain countries, to serve their ill designs, could not see a peaceful Afghanistan and the success of the ongoing dialogue process,” he said. “The return of peace and stability in Afghanistan will make positive effects on the overall progress, trade and economic development of the merged tribal districts.”

The prime minister underlined the need for taking effective measures to curb smuggling at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which he said was affecting legal exports. In this regard, he added, Pakistan had fenced the border, which greatly helped curb this menace.

He said that the government had included the merged areas in its mega 10-billion-trees afforestration project. “The focus is on planting olive trees from Bajaur to South Waziristan that will help increase oil production and boost country’s exports manifolds.”

The prime minister said that his government was committed to uplift the downtrodden segments of the society by establishing welfare state in line with Rayast-e-Madina, saying: “The government is focused on less-developed areas, including the tribal districts, Balochistan, Southern Punjab and interior Sindh.”

He mentioned that the problems of Karachi increased because of lack of attention and unjust utilisation of development funds. On the other hand, he added, the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government diverted more funds to central Punjab, leaving Southern Punjab less developed.

“We are making full efforts to spend maximum funds on tribal areas. It saddens me that provinces promised share from the NFC [National Finance Commission] award to tribal areas before we came to power but now, they are not ready for it. I remind them that our religion … tell us to fulfil our promises.”

During his visit to K-P, Prime Minister Imran also visited the Bajaur district and performed the ground-breaking of the Timargarh-Khar-Mamad Gat road. Imran, while briefly addressing those attending the ceremony, said the road would promote trade and tourism.

Later speaking at the inauguration of the surgical block at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, the prime minister said no country could thrive if a mechanism of punishment and reward did not exist. He asked the hospital staff to lead by example and become a role-model for other hospitals in the country.

WITH INPUT FROM APP