Speaker National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, has stressed the need for reviving the economic and trade activities in erstwhile FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] and engaging the local youth in the development process in order to save them from being exploited by extremists.
Chairing the 5th meeting of the Special Committee on Development of Erstwhile FATA on Tuesday, Asad Qaiser said it was high time to prioritize the development of erstwhile FATA after it had faced the scourge of terrorism
He emphasized that the process of rehabilitation and compensation should be transparent and speedy. He said that transforming a war economy into a regular economy in erstwhile FATA would improve the socio-economic conditions in the area.
Taking notice of the stalled process of compensation in South Waziristan, the committee unanimously moved a resolution for adopting a speedy mechanism of compensation to the war-stricken people. The committee members also raised objections to the spending mechanism on projects in the area.
Federal Minister for Finance, Shaukat Tarin, briefed the committee members on the plans to gear up the efforts for developing consensus among all provinces for allocation of three percent share from a divisible pool of 10th NFC award. He said erstwhile FATA needed special focus because of its strategic location and the condition after 30 years of suffering.
The Speaker National Assembly appreciated Federal Minister for Finance, Shaukat Tarin, for resolving to make all-out efforts to gear up the agreement for allocation of three percent NFC share for the development of erstwhile FATA.
Minister for Health and Finance, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Taimur Saleem Khan, informed the committee members about the PSDP funding for projects in erstwhile FATA. He said the provincial government was cognizant of the harsh circumstances faced by people in erstwhile FATA. He underlined that the KP government would ensure all ways and means to resolve issues faced by people in FATA. He also briefed the members on a sub-committee meeting of the 10th NFC Award.
Chairman Special Committee on Development of Erstwhile FATA, MNA Junaid Akbar, said the committee members would soon visit Balochistan and Sindh for developing consensus on the issue of three percent share for Erstwhile FATA.
A representative of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) briefed the committee on exploring industrial and trade opportunities for the development of erstwhile FATA.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Gul Dad Khan, Khurram Dastgir Kh, Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Jamal Ud Din, Abdul Shakoor, Mohsin Dawar, Zille Huma, and Muhammad Arbab Shahzad, along with Senator Dost Muhammad Khan, Taimur Saleem Khan, and senior officers from the Ministry and FBR.
Source: Pro Pakistani