Peshawar: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced to provide Rs 160 billion for development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also assured that the federal government will provide all necessary resources to eliminate terrorism and establish lasting peace in the province.
Addressing the Development Council comprising representatives of tribal districts and tribal elders at the Governor House, Peshawar, the Prime Minister said that the tribal people have made unparalleled sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. The government values their services.
Shahbaz Sharif said that the federal government will accelerate the pace of development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remove obstacles in their completion. He also directed the concerned authorities to complete the Safe City project soon and improve the training and capacity of the police.
According to the Prime Minister, steps will also be taken to meet the need for wheat in the province. He directed that the supply of wheat to the people at government rates should be ensured and hoarding should be prevented.
Referring to the law and order situation in the tribal areas, he said that the local population has suffered heavy losses in the anti-terrorism operations. The federal government will provide all necessary resources to restore peace, development and prosperity in the province.
The tribal elders present at the meeting welcomed the government’s focus on the province’s issues and expressed their commitment to continue their cooperation for peace and development activities.
The Prime Minister, while mentioning the corruption issues in the province, referred to the alleged irregularities of Rs100 billion in drinking water projects and Rs37 billion in the Kohistan scandal. He said that public resources should be spent on development projects and public welfare.
Earlier, the security situation and development needs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also reviewed in the meeting of the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan. The Prime Minister said that the federal government and the military leadership will work together for sustainable peace and development in the province.
Implementation of projects under the development package announced by the government, equitable distribution of resources and improvement in the capacity of security institutions will be important for achieving development goals in the province.
