Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly for State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON)has showed resentment over the abolishing of development projects and the induction of new projects by the FATA Secretariat.

The committee meeting was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Maulana Muhammad Jamal Deen. The other members of the committee, namely, Ghalib Khan, Aftab Shaban Mirani, Muhammad Kamalud Din, Haji Nazir Khan, Biliaur Rehman and Shiekh FayyazurRehman participated.

The committee directed the concerned authorities to ensure action upon its recommendations. The committee also recommended the shifting of the tube well on solar energy in FATA and to speed up the process of rehabilitation in Wazirstan.

During the meeting Ghalib Khan said that there was no value of MNAs in FATA. He said that an officer of Grade -18 was deputed on the post of BPS-19 in the education department who was playing havoc with merit.

He said that the said officer was committing corruption in the education projects. He said that although there were some officers of Grade-19 are working in FATA but the said officer was posted on a political basis.

The chairman replied that the committee had recommended that the senior officers should be appointed on senior posts on merit but this was not complied with. Similarly the construction of a 200 km road in South Waziristan was not included in the development projects

The chairman said that the committee had also recommended to hold a meeting with the governor KP after every three months to find the solution to the problems faced by the people of FATA.

Secretary SAFRON Tariq Hayat told the meeting that FATA had been ignored in tge development project since 1995. He said that SAFRON could only recommend the projects in North and South Waziristan Agencies as all the development work which was approved by Pak Army .

On the occasion the Minister for SAFRON Abdul Qadir Baloch said that the federation had reserved Rs 100 billon for the development of FATA out of which Rs 32 billion were kept for the rehabilitation and development of South and North Waziristan. In these projects the revival of schools, basic health units and road projects would be included.

A member suggested that the next meeting could be held at FATA so that the realities might come to the surface.