ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday asked the authorities concerned to speed up efforts to get the soldiers kidnapped by militants safely freed.

The president was presiding over a high-level meeting in the Aiwan-i-Sadar to review the security situation in Fata and troubled areas in the NWFP. According to informed sources, newly-appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani briefed the meeting about ongoing talks with local Taliban militants.

Gen Kayani visited the front-line army positions in North Waziristan agency on Tuesday.

The sources said that the president expressed deep concern over growing strength of Taliban in tribal areas and the kidnapping of armed personnel. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai, NWFP caretaker chief minister Shamsul Mulk, interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and other high-ranking officials.

According to an official handout, President Musharraf told the meeting that the government was working for fast-track socio-economic development in the NWFP and Fata to provide relief to people. The president said that most of the people in the NWFP and Fata were moderate and they wanted peace and progress in their areas.