PESHAWAR, Nov 5: NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has directed that the principle of merit and transparency be followed at every level in Fata and that recruitment and transfers of staff in different departments must be made on merit.

He was presiding over a meeting to discuss administrative and operational matters of different departments of Fata at Governor's House here on Friday. "Our policies in Fata are based purely on merit," he emphasized while issuing the directive.

Directors of all the line departments of Fata attended the meeting. The governor expressed the confidence that with the functioning of agency councils the workings would become more transparent in Fata. Because, he added, correct decisions would emerge as a result of discussions on various matters in the meetings of these councils.

The governor pointed out that line departments at agency level would be under the control of political agents for administrative purposes only whereas they would enjoy full authority in dealing with internal affairs. He said administrative heads at the agency level would enjoy sole authority in dealing with the appointments and transfers. -APP