LANDI KOTAL: Chief Minister Mahmud Khan has said that the merger process of tribal regions with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be expedited with the availability of required funds pledged by the federal government.

The chief minister had come to Landi Kotal on Friday to offer Fateha for the departed soul of a spiritual leader and father of Federal Minister for Haj and Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri.

The chief minister also paid a visit to the Torkham border where he was given a detailed briefing on the security situation and the border management policy.

Talking to journalists, he said that provincial government was in touch with federal government for the early release of funds, which would provide the much needed impetus to the process of merger.

He said that a review petition of the provincial government for the restoration of Fata Interim Governance Regulation was in pending the Supreme Court and as soon the court gave its verdict in favour of the government, integration of the erstwhile Fata departments with civil secretariat would be started.

Mr Khan said that government was also in touch with the federal government for the extension of court and police system to the newly merged tribal districts along with a request for special funds for the purpose.

He said that most of the ordinary laws in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were then in practice in the tribal districts after their merger and elections to the provincial assembly and local governments would also be held soon.

During his visit to Torkham, the chief minister met with the Afghan border guards and talked to ordinary Afghans, who apprised him of the problems they faced during their cross-border movement.

It was the first visit of chief minister to the any of the newly merged tribal districts after the merger in May this year.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had only recently advised Mahmud Khan to pay visits to all the merged districts and expedite the merger process.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2018