RAWALPINDI, Aug 19: President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday reiterated strong commitment for the socio-economic development of the people in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

He was talking to a delegation of parliamentarians belonging to Fata.

President Musharraf said that preference would be given to dialogue process for resolution of problems in the tribal areas, particularly in North and South Waziristan.

He expressed the hope that strengthening of political and administrative systems would lead to better governance in the Fata.

The President stated that construction of road network, hospitals and schools would bring the tribal areas into the mainstream national development.

Federal Minister for Culture, Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal, Federal Minister for Political Affairs, Engineer Amir Muqam, Governor NWFP, Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai, PML Secretary-General, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, MNA Munir Khan Aurakzai, and MNA Dr Nasim Afridi attended the meeting.

President Musharraf said foreign terrorists would not be allowed to use Pakistani soil for ulterior motives at any cost, adding that these elements would have either to surrender or quit the area.— APP/Online