ISLAMABAD, Sep 08 (APP): The high level National Committee on the Implementation of FATA Reforms met here Friday under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Other members of the Committee who attended the meeting included Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Chief Minister KPK Parvez Khattak, Minister for SAFRON Lt. Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz and senior civil and military officials.
The Committee noted with satisfaction the positive response in the Parliament and in the Tribal Areas for the FATA Reform Package which was approved by the Cabinet on 2nd March 2017.
The Committee took many decisions to expedite the process of implementation. The Prime Minister directed the Minister for Law and Justice to fast track legislative and administrative measures for the mainstreaming of FATA so that the people of FATA can have access to the fundamental rights at par with the people in the rest of Pakistan.
The Committee approved the fast track recruitment of Police and redeployment of some of the Frontier Constabulary, after training, to perform police functions. It was also decided to put in place an appropriate administrative mechanism for the transition period. It was also decided to create a position of Chief Operating Officer for the period of transition.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa briefed the Committee on the successes achieved in extending the writ of the state throughout FATA and on the steps taken to strengthen security and border infrastructure as well as the development efforts during the last few years.
The Prime Minister in his remarks, reiterated that the basic purpose of these reforms was to improve the lives of the people of FATA who have suffered enormously due to a long war, insurgency and widespread displacement in the past three decades.
APP/Zaheer/anm
