ISLAMABAD, July 19: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Thursday that in view of the law and order situation in the NWFP, the federal government was providing additional funds of Rs3.6 billion for recruiting 7,300 Frontier Corps personnel and strengthening, equipping and training other law-enforcement agencies.

Talking to a group of ministers here, the prime minister said the NWFP government had requested during the last meeting of the National Security Council addition of 15,000 personnel to its police force.

Because of the law and order situation in the province, the federal government readily agreed to provide funds on a 50-50 cost sharing basis to improve the capacity of the NWFP’s law-enforcement agencies, he said.

He said that to meet the shortage of personnel of law-enforcement forces, the federal government would provide funds for recruiting, equipping and training an additional eight wings, comprising 7,300 men, of the Frontier Corps, adding that Rs3.6 billion would be given to the NWFP government for the purpose.

He said that till the completion of the recruitment, army would remain at its bases and only come to the aid of the civil administration when requisitioned by the provincial government.