ISLAMABAD: National Assembly’s Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions approved six projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Monday.
These projects will primarily focus on infrastructure development in the region, though the government also plans to fund a major scheme to ensure the availability of clean drinking water to the residents of South Waziristan Agency.
The infrastructure projects will focus on the construction of roads, bridges and jeepable tracks to make the craggy mountainous terrain of the tribal areas more accessible to everyone.
Until recently, FATA was described as the hub of transnational militant networks operating in the region. The area, abutting Afghanistan, constituted a natural sanctuary for extremist factions due to its topography and social conditions.
Pakistan’s northwestern tribal territories were deeply neglected by various administrations for decades, turning them into a breeding ground of terrorism. However, the country is now striving to address the problem by launching development schemes in the area to improve the living standards of its residents.
In this context, the National Assembly committee also recommended an upward revision in the salaries of Malakand Levy, saying these should be at par with the compensation packages of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police.
National Assembly committee approves development projects for FATA
National Assembly committee approves development projects for FATA
Gunmen kill Hindu man among three persons in Pakistan’s Balochistan
- No group claimed the attack in the region, where separatist groups have targeted security forces, foreigners, non-local tourists in the past
- Police official says investigations underway to ascertain motives behind the killing of the three men, all residents of Balochistan’s Khuzdar
QUETTA: Unidentified gunmen shot dead three people, including a member of the Hindu community, in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, a police official said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings in the restive region, where Baloch separatist groups have targeted security forces, foreigners, non-local tourists and travelers in the past.
The deceased men, including a Hindu trader, his friend and servant, had been on picnic at Harhnbo Dam in Naal area of Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, according to local police station in-charge Abdullah Pandrani. All three were residents of Khuzdar’s Wadh area.
“Their bodies were handed over to relatives,” Pandrani told Arab News. “The relatives of slain tourists didn’t say whether they had any enmity.”
The killings come days after coordinated attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group in several districts across Balochistan that killed 36 civilians and 22 security personnel. Authorities said they had killed 216 militants in follow-up operations.
“Investigations are underway to ascertain motives behind the [latest] killings,” Pandrani added.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces, foreigners and non-local Pakistanis and kidnap government officials.
Separatist militant groups blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
