ISLAMABAD, March 16: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Wednesday presided over a meeting of Northern Areas Selection Board here. Important decisions were taken about the promotion of officers of the Northern Areas administration in the meeting. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Executive Northern Areas Mir Ghazanfar Ali of Hunza, Secretary Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Rasool Bakhsh Baloch, Chief Secretary Northern Areas Farid Khan and Senior Joint Secretaries of the ministry, Establishment Division and Finance Division.

Earlier talking to newsmen at the Islamabad Airport after returning from a two-week official visit of UK and France, the minister said efforts to create gulf between him and the masses were bound to fail.

Those who received the minister at the airport included Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Hiraj, members of National Assembly Pir Aslam Bodla, Azhar Khan Yusufzai, Niaz Ahmed Jhakar, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Chaudhry Imranullah, Muhammad Faiz Tamman, Dr Nisar Ahmed, Sher Akbar Khan, Leader of Opposition and parliamentary leader of Pakistan People Party in NWFP Assembly Murid Kazim, Nazar Kiani, Tahir Khokhar, Jameel Abbasi, Yasin Azad, Members of Northern Areas Legislative Council Muzaffar Ali Relay and Muzaffar Advocate and a large number of workers of PPP flower petals were showered of Faisal Saleh Hayat and the party workers danced on the drum beat. Special security arrangements had been made by the airport staff for the occasion.