- Imran Khan pledges to invest billions into former FATA region
- Claims he is sticking to the government's commitments
- Pakistan provinces requested to contribute
Dubai: Pakistan Prime Minister has promised to invest 10 billion PKR (Dh 262,699,800) into former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Imran Khan announced a development program for the region that is now part of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
The premier, @ImranKhanPTI, tweeted on Monday, March 18: “Living up to our commitment. A 3-week consultative process on 10-year development plan for former FATA is being initiated, starting from Bajaur. Our people in the tribal area will see unprecedented development as government plans to spend over Rs100 billion annually for 10 years in tribal districts.”
The tweet has so far received over 3,000 retweets. 14,000 likes and hundreds of replies.
Replying to Khan, tweep @drdarkdevil suggested some sectors that need focus: “A good step government should focus on the tribal areas. They have low literacy rate and poor facilities of health.”
Thanking Khan, netizen Faateh Malik, @faatehmalik, tweeted: “At last Pakistan find someone who think that FATA is also part of Pakistan and the people of FATA have also the right to enjoy the facilities of world.... Thank you @ImranKhanPTI”
Whereas, Twitter user @Drgovindaa took the opportunity to highlight the work that is needed to be done within other provinces: “Yes! Over 100 billion is big money. PPP [Pakistan People’s Party] has spent thousands of billion in Sindh but there is no development just corruption. May god make the tribal area people […] high level of progress. We believe this will be done in your leadership.”
User Muhammad AhmAd Khokhar, @axmebkhokhar, appreciated the decision and shed light on the suffering the people of the area have gone through: “That’s an excellent decision to revamp FATA and give the people facilities to the people who suffered the most in Pakistan…”
Where is FATA?
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas exist north of Pakistan. The region was known as FATA from 1947 until 2018, when it was merged with KPK.
Taliban have infiltrated the FATA region in the past. Both people and NGOs have been victims of violent attacks because of the militants.
Khan requests contribution
Attending a rally in the District of Bajaur on March 15, Khan requested other provinces of Pakistan to give 3 per cent of their National Financial Commission award to tribal districts, Samaa TV, a Pakistani news and entertainment television network reported.
National Financial Commission award refers to the share of financial resources between Pakistan’s provinces by the federal government each year.
Khan has repeatedly expressed that the reconstruction and development of former FATA areas is the government’s top priority.
In the past, the Prime Minister has ordered provision of health cards to those who belong to the merged areas. Khan has also directed that the chief minister, provincial ministers and secretaries make regular visits to the region and keep track of the progress within health and education sectors.
