10 February 2004	Tuesday	18 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 9: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said the government is taking keen interest in the uplift of tribal areas to bring them on a par with the developed parts of the country.

Speaking to delegation of Fata tribal elders here at the residence of ex-senator Muhammad Shah Afridi on Monday, the PML-Q chief said huge allocations were being spent on the development projects in tribal areas.

He assured the team that there would be no problem of funding for the development programme. The government, he said, is giving special attention to the socio-economic development of the tribal agencies.

The development programme, he said, would definitely help uplift the tribal people. He said he would soon visit all the tribal agencies to gain first-hand knowledge of their problems and difficulties.

Earlier, Muhammad Shah Afridi in his address of welcome said the people of tribal areas were fully cooperating with the Pakistan Army in their endeavours to hunt down terrorists.

He held out assurance that tribesmen would help maintain the public order in Fata. The tribesmen, he said, were now concentrating on healthy activities and the credit for it went to the government. -APP