PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said Tuesday that the people of the Federally Administerd Tribal Areas (FATA) have been suffering since long and their miseries have increased manifold after displacement from their native areas for an extended period of time.
The governor said this while addressing the launching ceremony of the FATA Economic Revitalisation Programme at Governor House. The project would be jointly funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with an estimated cost of $120 million.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between Pakistan-based country heads of USAID and the UNDP to initiate the project at the earliest.
On the occasion, the governor said that, “We saw many people fleeing their homes during the military operations by leaving their means of living behind, abandoning their productive lands, and seeking safety, security and jobs elsewhere, hence exerting additional pressure on resources and services that were barely sufficient to support the host communities.”
Welcoming the launch of FATA Economic Revitalisation Programme, Jhagra said that through combined efforts of donors, the situation was managed with great success in the past after the ground realities were recognised by all stakeholders involved.
Under the FATA Economic Revitalisation Programme, around 15,000 families of North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Khyber Agency would be benefited through efforts aimed at developing local resources. UNDP Pakistan Country Director Ignacio Artaza. USAID Assistant Administrator Gregory Huger, FATA Additional Chief Secretary Sikandar Qayyum, and other government officials were also present on the occasion.
