KARACHI, July 1: Siraj-ul-Haque, senior NWFP minister and leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, said on Tuesday that law and order situation in the NWFP was exemplary.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at Idara Noor-i-Haq, he said those responsible for damaging the signboards were being prosecuted, including the officials who acted as silent spectators.

He said the situation at Pakistan-Afghanistan border was normal, as there were no Al-Qaeda men in the province.

Mr Haq said that the NWFP government was a model for other provinces, as it was working like a Jirga where all were equal.

The government had provided Rs50,000 development fund to each member of the assembly without any discrimination, while in Punjab, he said not a single penny had been given to the members belonging to the opposition benches.

To a question he said that in the fiscal year, 2003-04, 10,000 vacancies would be filled including 1,000 jobs for lady teachers.

In the budget, education had been given top priority, so that literacy rate could be increased to 34 per cent, he said.

Answering to another question, the NWFP minister said if the federal government, which owed payment of Rs309 million, on account of power generation, released the amount, the province could make more progress in every field.

Recalling the performance of the NWFP assembly, he said that it passed 54 resolutions unanimously, replied to 280 questions and adopted 9 bills with consensus.

MNAs, Asadullah Bhutto and Mohammad Hussain Mehnati, and JI Karachi chief Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui were also present.