Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan Saturday announced an amount of Rs 1 billion for the interest free loans for financial support of FATA people and immediately issued its first installment of Rs 500 millions to formally start this scheme.
Moreover, he also announced university in FATA and said the work had been started for establishment of the varsity for the tribal people.
He said tribal people had rendered great sacrifices for the sovereignty, stability and peace of the country and their sacrifices were highly valuable and these would always be remembered with appreciation.
He said every possible step would be taken to bring the people of FATA into the mainstream.
He was talking to the grand delegation of tribal elders from FATA here at Governor’s house.
The delegation apprised the governor about problems and difficulties of the region.
The Governor assured the delegation that possible steps were being under consideration to solve their grievances.
Talking to the delegation, the governor said poverty and backwardness was not the destiny of the people of Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) adding that they had had same and equal right over resources of the country like the people of main cities.
The people of FATA cannot be further deprived from their basic and inalienable rights and modern facilities of life.
He said the sacrifices of a brave nation could not be ignored adding the government was well aware of the problems and difficulties of TDPs.
The governor said that the tribal people had rendered sacrifices for the sake of the peace of entire region and now the time had come to take measures for the welfare of tribal people.
He said that austerity measures would be taken to ensure the provision of best infrastructure, health centers, schools, colleges, hospitals, employment opportunities and modern facilities in Tribal Areas.
The governor said that the people of FATA were badly ignored in the past which had subsequently affected the development of the area and its people adding that the present government was working on it and it had initiated a special development program for the people of FATA.
He said Pakistan’s sovereignty in the region was being fought by our security forces and tribesmen had played important role in the war against terrorism.
He said the dignified return and rehabilitation of TDPs was the top most priority of the incumbent government and steps had been taken to ensure the reconstruction and development of the tribal region.
He said repatriation process of Temporary Displaced Persons (TDPs) had been started simultaneously from five tribal agencies and going on successfully adding that rehabilitation of TDPs and reconstruction of tribal areas was a challenging task and incumbent government was utilizing its full potential to make this possible.