PESHAWAR, Nov 8: The federal government has released $14.75 million to the Governor's Fata secretariat for the border security project in Kurram and Khyber agencies. While a tranche of $8.8m would be released for the same project in Mohmand and Bajaur agencies within a couple of days, official sources said.

Official sources told Dawn here on Monday that the US administration had provided $23.55m grant for the purpose of strengthening security and improving vigilance to curb the narcotics smuggling from Afghanistan through these four tribal regions.

The amount was a part of the US assistance extended to Pakistan as being frontline state in the "war on terror". The amount would be spent on establishing several checkpoints for levies at important and strategic locations in Kurram, Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur agencies, the official sources maintained.

The ministry had recently released over $14.75m for Kurram and Khyber agencies, while the remaining amount would be released within a couple of days to the Governor's Fata secretariat, officials said.

The agency-wise allocation of the amount is as follows: $6.75m for Kurram Agency, $8m for Khyber Agency, $4.55m for Mohmand Agency and $4.25m for Bajaur Agency.

The US has planned to provide $3 billion for development and security assistance to Pakistan over five years, in annual instalments of $600m.

Over $50m has been projected directly for counter- terrorism and counter-narcotics fight. A sizable chunk of this amount would go to border security along Pakistan-Afghan border and small portions each to law enforcement, crop control (of drugs) and programme support.