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Summary FATA MNAs called on the prime minister and expressed best wishes for the health of the president.
Member of National Assembly from FATA called on Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday and expressed their best wishes for the health of President Asif Ali Zardari and prayed for his speedy recovery. The Prime Minister thanked the MNAs and said the President had now shifted from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to room and was making satisfactory progress. The MNAs who accompanied Munir Ahmed Orakzai assured the Prime Minister that all members of FATA would extend their full support to the government come what may.The Prime Minister appreciated their gesture, adding that their support was important for democracy, federation and the war on terror, in particular.The Prime Minister, on the request of the MNAs directed the Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission to ensure the release of Rs.15 billion during the current financial year to complete the development projects in FATA to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.He directed the Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission to hold a meeting early next week and facilitate completion of the projects by ensuring the release of funds on time.He said the representative of FATA Secretariat should also be associated in the meeting to facilitate the completion of procedural formalities between the Federal Government and the Secretariat for execution of development projects.It was however pointed out both by the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance that the release of funds for FATA was on time as compared to other parts of the country.However, the region would be meted out preferential treatment keeping in view the special circumstances of FATA due to war on terror, the Ministry of Finance assured. The quantum of releases would be increased substantially during the remaining months of the current financial year.The MNAs thanked the democratic government for the promulgation of reforms in FATA that no other government could introduce during the last more than sixty years.They demanded the strengthening of the institutional mechanism required to implement the reforms in FCR.The Prime Minister immediately approved 153 vacancies for the FATA Tribunals which would surely make the justice to the people speedy and inexpensive.The MNAs thanked the Prime Minister for the prompt decision for mitigating the sufferings of the people who have to undergo inconvenience to seek justice.The MNAs from FATA who met the Prime Minister included Minister for SAFFRON Eng Shaukat Ullah Khan, Haji Munir Khan Orakzai MNA, Malik Bilal Rehman MNA, Sajid Hussain Turi MNA, Jawad Hussain MNA, Muhammad Kamran Khan MNA, Maulana Noor ul Haq Qadri MNA, Hamidullah Jan Afridi MNA and Mr Zafar Baig Betanni MNA.Federal Minister Finance, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Senator Syeda Sughra Hussain Imam and senior officials of the Planning and the Ministry of Finance were also present in the meeting.
