ISLAMABAD, July 18: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday the government was striving to ensure an effective delivery of social services, particularly in health, education, electricity and water supply sectors.

Talking to NWFP Chief Minister NWFP Akram Durrani, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House, he said infrastructure development was also among the government’s priorities.

The two discussed development projects, reconstruction of earthquake affected areas and law and order situation in the NWFP.

The premier said the government was pursuing an agenda of growth with dignity and equity and it was working to bring poor, vulnerable and backward regions on a par with developed areas.

He said development projects had been launched in every province to bring about qualitative improvement in people’s life and emphasised the need for effective execution of projects.

He said democratic institutions were functioning effectively at local, provincial and the federal levels with a free media working to help create an atmosphere of tolerance.

Mr Aziz the government was committed to early rehabilitation of earthquake affected areas and funds had been allocated to undertake reconstruction work.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to transfer benefits of growth to the grass roots and hoped that the record allocation of Rs415 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme would improve the standard of living of the common citizen.

Mr Durrani briefed the prime minister about the implementation status of development projects and the law and order situation in the province.