LAHORE, Jan 13: Punjab Sports and Culture Minister Naeemullah Shahani had gone to the tribal area in the NWFP without informing the provincial governments, the Punjab Assembly was told on Tuesday.

Law minister Raja Muhammad Basharat said the government learnt about the incident only when Shahani's father phoned chief minister Pervaiz Elahi on Monday.

The CM immediately contacted NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani to seek his cooperation in the recovery of the minister, who went missing four days ago after he visited a friend in South Waziristan agency.

Replying to a point of order raised by PPP's Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan about the efforts to recover Shahani, he said the NWFP government had arrested 14 people so far. Mr Durrani had, however, complained that the minister should have informed them before visiting the tribal area.

Mr Pervaiz Elahi again contacted his counterpart on Tuesday for stepping up efforts to recover the minister, he said. Rana Aftab said the government should arrange a workshop for its army of ministers to train them on protocol. -