ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to give special emphasis on development of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the new federal budget 2023-24 which will be announced on June 9.

The premier directed authorities concerned to formulate a comprehensive development package for the uplift of the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He gave these instructions during separate meetings with elders of Fata and lawmakers of KP.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to include special development projects in the upcoming budget for merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said on Wednesday.

In May 2018, the National Assembly had voted in favour of a constitution amendment to merge Fata with KP. Talking to the members of National Assembly from merged districts of KP, the prime minister said that uplift of people of the area was the top priority of the government.

Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Sajid Hussain Turi and MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Muh­ammad Jamaludin were part of the delegation which called on the prime minister, while Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Plan­ning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and other relevant officials also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the delegation presented proposals to the prime minister about the development projects. PM Shehbaz said that after due consultation, relevant authorities would include these proposals in the upcoming budget.

In a separate meeting with a seven-member delegation of leaders of the merged districts, headed by former MNA Shah Gul Afridi, the prime minister assured the delegation that his government considered the development of merged districts a national priority.

Parliament Affairs Mini­ster Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Adviser to PM Amir Muq­am and relevant senior offi­cers attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2023