Accord a major breakthrough for peace in FATA: Governor
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—The NWFP Governor, Lt. Gen. (retd) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai has said that in FATA the things have started moving in the positive direction and a pleasant change is expected to usher in the life of the respective people on comparatively rapid speed from now onward.
Talking to a 56 member group of the participants of the 85th National Management Course, currently in progress at the Lahore based Pakistan Administrative Staff College who called on him at Governor's House, Peshawar, the Governor said, indeed the area has been severely neglected for a long time which have resulted in multiplication the miseries of the respective people. Provincial Chief Secretary, Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, Additional Chief Secretary, FATA, Muhammad Shahzad Arbab and Secretary to Governor, Azmat Hanif Orakzai was also present on this occasion.
The Governor responded to a volley of questions from the delegates on this occasion and highlighted the salient features of the prevailing law and order situation with special reference to the developments took place from time to time over the period of almost past four years in FATA.
Referring to a point, he said, things have already changed to a reasonable extent as compared to the past and now a sense of realization with regard to the importance of peace towards development process can be witnessed especially amongst the people of affected areas. Talking about the peace agreement, recently concluded with the tribes of North Waziristan Agency, the Governor said, it is in fact a major break through especially in the ongoing efforts to curb trends of terrorism and eliminate cross border militancy from the area.
Referring to another point, the Governor said, for the first time in the history of FATA, a long term development programme to be implemented over a period of next nine years at a cost of Rs. 120 billions have been chalked out and a scientific approach is being adopted not only for planning of the projects but also to implement the schemes. In this connection, he said, newly opened areas would continue to receive special priorities wherein comprehensive packages are already under implementation process.
Talking on another point, he said, though development of infrastructure together with promotion of educational facilities and health care services are already being given special priority yet the quality work have been made focal point in our development strategies. The Governor also highlighted the ongoing administrative reforms process in Civil Secretariat, FATA and said that the decision was the part of a concrete plan of action which has been initiated for capacity building of the government organizations engaged in the development process of FATA. The basic aim of the efforts, he added, is to ensure proper, effective, efficient and result oriented utilization of the huge budgetary outlays being earmarked by the government for this purpose. Simultaneously, he said, monitoring system is also being further developed and strengthened to monitor the development work both at the secretariat as well as agency level.
Meanwhile during a briefing, the delegates were informed that the FATA Development Authority as well as Rural Support Programme in FATA would be in place by Ist Quarter of the next Financial Year. The Development Authority, it was added, will focus on the productive sectors; especially the Mineral development, Technical education and industrialization while the Rural Support Programme will undertake small schemes in various areas through the respective communities. As far as newly opened areas are concerned, it was told, a special development package, costing almost Rs. 1.3 billions has already been launched which is being further augmented as well.