Second phase of AIP for tribal districts

Set to chart the course of development in the region for the next three years, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has announced to launch the second phase of the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) in the tribal districts.

According to a press release on Monday, the provincial government expressed to adopt a bolder approach in solving the challenges of the underdeveloped region to bring it at par with the rest of K-P by presenting its vision at the Merged Areas Development Partners’ Summit organised in Islamabad.

The statement added that the K-P Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra opened the session by describing the journey and challenges the government faced since the merger of tribal districts. “K-P has had little fiscal space but we still overcame the shortfalls in funding with our own resources despite an annual shortfall of more than Rs70 billion. We are committed for the long run, and will weather any financial or security challenges to make good on our promises.”

K-P Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah presented a detailed presentation on AIP II, which has been designed with the input of the people of tribal districts and sector experts. AIP II would be built on the gains in health, infrastructure, agriculture, education and other sectors already delivered on.

Knut Ostby, Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan addressed the participants from Norway and congratulated the government for the work done and progress made in the tribal districts since the merger.

He expressed hope that the innovations, solutions lab and Special Emphasis Programmes in AIP II would continue to foster culture of context-specific solutions that are data-driven.

K-P Higher Education Minster Kamran Bangash recalled how he implemented the provision of transport for students and started bachelor’s degree programmes in tribal districts.

Provincial Labour and Culture Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai expressed gratitude to the development partners assisting the provincial government with transforming lives of people in tribal districts.

Korean Ambassador to Pakistan, diplomats from Japan and Germany as well as Canadian High Commission and representatives from European Union Delegation to Pakistan, United States Aid for International Development (USAID), Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), INL, KfW, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, United Nations Development Programme were also present, amongst others.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2022.