ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reiterated the government’s resolve to complete the process for merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During a meeting with Fata senators at Prime Minister Office, Mr Khan said the government was also striving hard to place an effective local governance system in the tribal districts.

He assured the delegation that the Centre would help the provincial government in provision of basic facilities like health, education and housing.

“The tribal areas will be provided all-out facilities like other parts of the country,” he added.

During the meeting, matters relating to the overall situation in tribal areas, Fata merger and administrative affairs came under discussion.

The prime minister said the tribal people had a right over the region’s resources and these should be spent on the construction and development of the area.

The government had already announced Rs100 billion uplift package for tribal districts.

The landmark merger of Fata and the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas with KP took place through a constitutional amendment in the last days of the five-year term of the PML-N government that ended on May 31. The process of transition is still under progress which is now being monitored by the PTI government.

Following the landmark merger of Fata with KP, the provincial government established the offices of deputy commissioner and assistant commissioners by introducing the status of sub-division and districts in the tribal areas which were previously governed under one-and-a-half century old colonial laws called Frontier Crimes Regulations.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018