PESHAWAR: A group of defence attaches and advisers from the various Islamabad based foreign missions and embassies, currently on a visit to various parts of the province and Fata, on Tuesday called on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan at the Governor House here.

The delegates were also accompanied by senior officials of the ministry of foreign affairs and were briefed on the situation in the region especially in the wake of the military operation against militancy, according to a handout.

On the occasion, Mr Mehtab said that the government was heading forward ensuring stability, infrastructure development and socio-economic well being of the people after remaining in war like situation for over a decade.

The governor said that all available means were being used to take care of more than one million internally displaced persons from different parts of Fata, including North Waziristan Agency. “We are also thankful to the world community for its support in this respect,” he added.

Mr Mehtab, however, said that repatriation and rehabilitation of the displaced populations and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure were the challenges of bigger magnitude and needed support of the friends of Pakistan in the world community.

The governor stressed that promotion of education and healthcare facilities in Fata were priority subjects, saying that all possible steps were being made to develop infrastructure facilities in the region to engage the youth in constructive activities.

He said that the problems of terrorism and militancy had tarnished the soft image of the country in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata in particular. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary Amjad Ali Khan, additional chief secretary, Fata, Arbab Mohammad Arif and provincial home secretary Akhtar Ali Khan were also in attendance.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2014