PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra on Monday said the return of the internally displaced persons to Fata was likely to be completed by October this year.

“According to the plan, all IDPs will go back to their homes by the end of 2016, but the process may be completed in October,” he told reporters here.

The governor said the maintenance of the lasting peace, and return and rehabilitation of IDPs were the top priorities of the government.

He said efforts were being made to ensure the successful and dignified return of all IDPs to their homes.

Mr. Jhagra said over 285, 000 displaced families were repatriated to their native homes in Fata, whereas the remaining 150,000 families would be sent by end of the current year.

He said the Fata reforms committee headed by adviser to the prime minister on foreign affair Sartaj Aziz would resume work very soon.

The governor said the reforms committee had visited three tribal agencies to seek the opinion of local people about the future of Fata.

Mr. Jhagra, who has been made the member of the committee in the wake of the resignation of Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan from the office of the governor, said he would meet Sartaj Aziz to ensure resumption of activities by the committee.

He said the future of Fata would be decided in line with the wishes and popular will of the tribal people.

The governor said the peace had been restored not only in the tribal region but also in the entire country due to the successful execution of the military operation, Zarb-i-Azb. He said the federal government was committed to eliminating terrorism and rehabilitating tribal people affected by the military operations against militants.

Mr. Jhagra said concrete measures would be taken on priority basis for the development of health and education sectors in Fata. He said closer ties between the federation and the province was in the vital national interest and that he would take all stakeholders on board for peace, stability and development in the province as well as Fata.

The governor expressed the hope that 2016 would be the year of peace in the province due to serious efforts of the federal government.

He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project would be implemented at all costs and that concerns of the federating units to this effect would be removed amicably.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2016