PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman on Thursday said that a 10-member Jirga Pakistan Committee would be established to recommend measures for transparency in development projects in tribal districts.

The announcement was made in a jirga arranged by Jirga Pakistan, which was attended by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Governor Shah Farman and Corps Commander Shaheen Mazhar Mahmood.

The jirga discussed measures to bring improvement in health, education, irrigation, power and other sectors besides suggestions how to improve peace in tribal districts and create employment opportunities for the tribal youth.

Addressing the jirga, Mr Farman said that anti-state elements wanted to sabotage peace process in the country especially in tribal districts.

Mahmood Khan said that it was imperative to end the decades old sense of deprivation among tribal people, adding that on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan he had paid several visits to tribal areas.

He said that he had better understanding of the problems being faced by the tribal people.

He said that the government wanted to equip the tribal youth with modern education to make them useful citizens of the country.

He said that suggestions of the Jirga Pakistan would be implemented in this regard.

He informed the jirga that the Pakistan Army had given Rs50 billion from its budget and the KP government contributed Rs11 billion for development of the tribal areas.

He said that merged districts were part of KP now and it was the responsibility of the government to bring these areas at par with other developed districts.

He said that education, health and employment generation were among top priorities of the government in tribal districts.

He said that the tribal youth would also get loans under Insaf Rozgar Programme.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2019