January 9, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 8, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Sunday that a record amount of Rs9 billion was being spent on development schemes currently being executed in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata), which was unprecedented in the country’s history.

According to a statement issued here by the Prime Minister’s House, Mr Aziz was talking to two different groups of Fata parliamentarians who called on him there separately.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment for speedy development of Fata saying that the government would continue its efforts till Fata was brought at par with the rest of the country.

The federal government, he said, would continue to provide funds and allocate resources for speedy uplift of Fata and improvement in the quality of life of its people.

Matters relating to forthcoming Senate elections also came under discussion during the meeting.

The prime minister said the sincerity of our commitment to development of Fata can be gauged from the fact that “record allocations” had been made during the last five years for progress and development of these areas.

He claimed that a complete transformation could be witnessed in the areas of health, education, supply of clean drinking water in addition to infrastructure development and creation of job opportunities there.

Fata parliamentarians assured their complete co-operation in implementing and executing uplift schemes in the areas.

Haji Munir Khan Orakzai led the group of MNAs which included Dr Syed G. G. Jamal, Minister for Tourism, Dr Javed Hussain and Dr Nasim Afridi. Whereas the group of senators was headed by Minister for Sports and Culture Mohammad Ajmal Khan and it included Senator Syed Sajjad Hussain, Senator Tahir Iqbal and Senator Rashid Ahmed Khan.