ISLAMABAD: The United States would work with the United Nations to mobilise international community for raising funds and aid for internally displaced persons of North Waziristan and help organise an investor conference for the Diamer Bhasha dam.

This was conveyed to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar by Ambassador Elizabeth Jones, Principal Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, US Department of State, during a meeting here on Friday.

Know more:US says it is ready to help IDPs

“Ambassador Jones said that the United States would work with the UN and the international community to mobilise funds and aid for IDPs,” said an official statement issued by the ministry of finance.

The ambassador said the US would cooperate with Pakistan for development of areas affected by the army operation in order to resettle the IDPs.

She said the US was looking forward to hosting an international investment conference on Diamer Bhasha dam in Washington at the time of autumn meetings of the World Bank and IMF when there is abundance of banking and investment sector presence.

She told the minister that in her meetings with EU ambassadors, energy interest in Pakistan was discussed and the US would expand and coordinate on EU’s growing interest in energy sector.

The finance minister informed the ambassador of key economic reforms the government had introduced and said that major economic indicators were reflecting marked improvements over the previous years.

“We have achieved all targets set for the last fiscal year and the economy has taken off to a new beginning of growth.”

He briefed the ambassador on the status of IDPs and the help the government was providing to them.

He said that around Rs8 billion had been provided by the federal government so far and efforts would be made to help IDPs during the operation and their rehabilitation later.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014