PESHAWAR, Nov 25: NWFP chief minister-designate Akram Khan Durrani has said that the law and order situation is at the top of his agenda as it has restrained the investment in the province.

Talking to newsmen on the premises of the assembly building after the swearing in ceremony of the members of the provincial assembly on Monday, he said that lack of job opportunities had hampered the development of the province. Even the public and the private sectors lacked the dynamism to deal with the unemployment and poverty problems, Mr Khan added.

He said that the public sector was clinging to old methodology and private sector was reluctant to come forward and play its role as the main investor.

He underlined the need for healthy competition between both sectors for the development of the area.

Mr Khan said that the MMA leadership was aware of the drastic and discouraging situation, but it would restore the confidence of the investors by providing them a peaceful and entrepreneur- friendly atmosphere in the province.

“We know why the foreign investors are not coming in for investment. They want a peaceful atmosphere and protection to their capital,” he added.

The MMA, he said, would bring a development-oriented change in the province so that people could be provided with self- employed jobs.

Mr Khan said that he would take up the issue of net hydel profit with the federal government, which had been a longstanding problem of the province.

To a question, he said that an MMA committee would finalize the distribution of ministries amongst the alliance components. The utmost issue was how to put the province on economic track, he added.

The MMA was a people-friendly alliance which would serve the people irrespective of their political affiliation and regional background. Women would be given equal opportunities of work and education, and would provide protection to them, he added.

“The MMA has gone through a democratic process and hope that democratic forces will respect the our mandate to rule the province,” he added.

Referring to the provincial autonomy, he said that the MMA believed in a strong federation wherein all the federating units should be given their constitutional rights.