Fata merger into KP best option to address problems of tribesmen

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has termed the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the most plausible option as it would ensure provision of efficient service delivery system to the tribal people in education, health and other social sectors.

He was talking to Stephen Fakan Consular General, US Consulate General Peshawar who had a courtesy call on at Chief Minister House Peshawar.

The Chief Minister said that his government had a sincere wish for the merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If we want to integrate the whole tribal belt for better safety and security and access of tribal people to efficient services in education, Health and other sectors, then merger was the best option.

It should neither be politicized nor should be delayed. He reminded that majority of people of different tribal areas migrated to settled districts because of the previous waves of terrorism and the subsequent operations to clear the areas from the miscreants. Even today twenty to thirty percent of people opted to stay in settled areas because of the efficient services they enjoyed in the settled areas, he added.

The Chief Minister attributed the comparatively calm and peace in Peshawar to the efficient border management, effective intelligence gathering and efficient policing  adding that the people of the province suffered in the past and paid a high price of the war on terror.

The international community needed to recognize these sacrifices. He said because of his government efforts, today Peshawar is more safe and secure and so are the improved security situation in other areas of the province.

Pervez Khattak said that Swat Motorway was expected to be completed towards the end of March. However the tunnel drilling and cutting etc of the project would take a little more time to complete. Hopefully the whole project would be completed in April that will integrate the whole of Northern belt opening it for tourism and it has the potential to emerge the base for tourism related economy of the province.

The Chief Minister said that in addition to the provision of billions of rupees for project in different sectors, Peshawar had three mega projects that included the Peshawar Metro Bus to be completed soon as work on it was going on round the clock.

He himself was monitoring the construction work of the project in order to complete it with already decided time tag.

The 2nd project included the shifting of all bus addas and terminals out of the city as there would be feeder routes of the Peshawar Metro Bus Project taking and bringing the passengers from their relevant feeder routes to the main corridor that will contribute considerably to the efficient traffic management in the whole of Peshawar city.

The third project that was approved and had become part of the CPEC was the 180 KM long railway project integrating the five districts of Peshawar valley that included Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda. These projects would also add to the beautification of Peshawar valley he added.