An estimated amount of Rs3.5 billion, meant for development activities in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, remained unutilized in the last financial year owing to procedural flaws and official incapacities, according to official sources. The Fata Secretariat missed the Rs10 billion development expenditure target for the last financial year with a wide margin as, according to official sources, project executing agencies and line departments failed to utilise 100 per cent of the funds provided for Fata’s uplift in the financial year 2011-12.“Fata Annual Development Programme doesn’t appear to be on the priority list of the federal government,” said a Peshawar-based official, adding that Fata Secretariat was equally responsible for the failure to ensure an efficient and speedy utilisation of development funds. Dawn.
The KP government has lifted a ban on Dr Shakeel Afridi of meeting with his family. Deputy Superintendent jail Peshawar told a private TV channel that the provincial govt has allowed Dr Shakeel monthly visits from his family members where as previously he was under restriction and his lawyer and brother were only able to see him twice in three months. The Nation, The News, Dawn, The Nation.
A large number of youths in the border areas of Chitral district have joined the Afghan National Army (ANA) and also offered services to Nato forces in Afghanistan, says a statement issued by the Home and Tribal Affairs Department on Thursday. The department has reliable information that a large number of unemployed youths belonging to Chitral have joined the Afghan National Army and are serving in Afghanistan,` the statement said. Dawn.
Two persons sustained injuries when unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at the office of a non-governmental organisation here in the small hours of Thursday. According to police and local residents, the assailants hurled a hand grenade at the office of Helping Hand, situated on Charsadda-Mardan Road. Niaz Beg, manager of the NGO, and field worker Abdul Qayum sustained injuries in the grenade attack as they were present at the office at the time of attack, they added. The injured were taken to district headquarters hospital in Mardan. Dawn.
Police have arrested five terrorists, three of them in injured condition, after an encounter in Bannu. According to details, police raided a house in Basiya Khel area near Bannu from where the terrorists opened fire at the police. After an exchange of firing with police, three of the terrorists were injured and were arrested along with two others. Police had also recovered a suicide jacket, hand grenade and arms from them. Daily Times.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said education without sports is incomplete because sports play an important role in character building of a nation. This he said while presiding over a ceremony in the honor of FATA players for its best performance in Pakistan Champions League Tournament held at Governor’s House Peshawar. The Governor distributed Certificates and cash prizes of Rs: 50,000/- amongst players for their best performance in the tournament. The governor said tribal people are not only best players but are best in all fields of life. He said tribal people have educated behavior even without getting proper education in academic institutions because they know the basic principle how to lead a civilized life. The Frontier Post, The Nation.
The government is undertaking various measures for the development of FATA with a view to bring it at par with other parts of the country. In this connection the Political Administration of North Waziristan Agency is making efforts to provide basic services in different parts of the agency with a view to solve the problems of the people of the area on priority basis and to mitigate their hardships.In order to ensure the access to clean drinking water of the inhabitants of Tappi village in Miran Shah Sub-Division of North Waziristan Agency, the Political Administration, on the request of the community elders of the area, had prioritized a water supply scheme and has now completed the same. The Frontier Post.
Nawaf Khan, Tahir Amin
