02 October 2004	Saturday	16 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed the Ministry of Interior to revise and streamline visa policy, encourage business and tourist travel and discourage inbound travel by undesirable elements.

The prime minister said that the ministry should explore ways to facilitate easy travel for investors and businessman. He also directed the ministry to take appropriate measures to facilitate outgoing passengers at Islamabad airport.

More FIA staff and customs officials should be posted to clear outgoing passengers quickly, he observed. The Prime Minister also directed the ministry to revamp the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to make it an efficient organization, dedicated towards immigration, controlling human trafficking and others federal security requirements.

The prime minister directed the CDA to enhance land availability in Islamabad by opening up new sectors, adding that it would help stabilizing real estate prices besides generating economic activity.

He also urged the authority to encourage the construction of new office buildings, shopping malls and hotels to meet the city's growing needs. The interior minister informed the prime minister that 28 regional passport offices and 10 missions abroad would start issuing machine-readable passports by June 28, 2005

KARAK DELEGATION: A delegation from Karak called on the prime minister on Friday to congratulate him for lifting economic restrictions from the tribal areas.

The delegation was led by MNA Shah Abdul Aziz and included scholars belonging to the MMA. They appreciated the prime minister's decision to lift economic restrictions in South Waziristan.

The Prime Minister said the government wanted to resolve all problems through mutual consultation and reconciliation. He also assured them that the government would take them along in all affairs relating to tribal areas.

Shaukat Aziz informed the members of the delegation that he has directed Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and Governor NWFP Iftikhar Shah to continue negotiations with elders from South Waziristan to bring normalcy in the region and take more steps for the welfare and prosperity of the people.

The prime minister said he has also directed the Interior Minister and Governor NWFP that no foreigner is allowed to create any problem for the local residents in the tribal areas.

The prime minister said that the government had been promoting politics based on decency and discouraging politics of false promises. He said that the treasury and opposition benches needed to work together for the country's development.

The prime minister ordered to take immediately steps to provide drinking water in Karak area. He also directed for the early completion of schemes of electricity supply to the area which had been pending since 1993.

He also directed the concerned departments to explore the possibility of mineral development to improve job opportunities in the area. Shaukat Aziz said the government will also look into the proposals to construct small dams in the area for resolving shortage of irrigation water.

SAFRON: Prime Minister Aziz directed the Ministry of SAFRON to focus on development of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and provision of basic health facilities to the tribal areas.

He was reviewing goals and targets of the States and Frontier Regions Division (SAFRON). The prime minister said that the government had allocated huge funds for development of agriculture, irrigation, roads, provision of health facilities and clean water in Fata, adding, that SAFRON should coordinate in implementation of development schemes.

He further said that the Ministry of SAFRON should coordinate with the provincial governor and tribal representatives for the timely utilization of development funds in tribal areas.

Shaukat Aziz appreciated the role of the Ministry of SAFRON towards conduct of operation in hosting and repatriation of Afghan refugees during their longest stay in Pakistan.

UN SPECIAL ENVOY: The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Iraq, Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, called on Prime Minister Aziz at the Prime Minister House on Friday. The Prime Minister felicitated Ashraf Jahangir Qazi on his appointment as the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Iraq and said that Mr Qazi's appointment was an honour for the country and reflected the UN Secretary General's confidence in his abilities.

The Special Envoy apprised the Prime Minister of the situation in Iraq. In a related development, MNAs Dr Nisar Ahmad and Azhar Ahmad Khan called on the prime minister.

They discussed matters of their respective constituencies with the Prime Minister with special reference to timely completion of development schemes being executed there.

FATA DELEGATION: Prime Minister Aziz said that Rs8 billion would be spent on development schemes in Fata during the current financial year. He was talking to a delegation comprising Senators and MNAs belonging to Fata, which called on him here.

The Prime Minister said that a senior government official would coordinate these development schemes in the public affairs wing of the prime minister's secretariat.