PESHAWAR: The newly elected Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mehmood Khan, told Arab News on Monday that he did not have an option except to depend on the army to undertake development projects in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of the country.
In an exclusive interview, Khan said that years of militancy had destroyed the civil administration infrastructure in the region. “For us, it is also a tough challenge to complete the KP-FATA merger successfully. We plan to introduce a special economic package aimed at uplifting the economy of the region and rebuilding civilian institutions."
FATA was the former name given to the northwestern tribal region of the country that borders Afghanistan. The area had maintained an old system of indirect government — introduced by the British — since the country’s independence in 1947. Earlier this year, however, the previous government, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, gave its approval to the merger of KP and FATA.
In his interview with Arab News, Khan maintained that the porous border with Afghanistan allowed militants to cross into Pakistan and conduct terrorist activities, adding that his biggest challenge was security-related.
He pointed out it was crucial to manage and secure the country’s border with Afghanistan, applauding the military for fencing the area and constructing checkpoints and forts equipped with the latest technology. "We will ensure that our border remains secure and terrorist incursions from across the border stop completely," he added.
The KP chief minister also said that the military would not like to stay in the tribal districts unnecessarily and would support the government’s efforts to increase the capacity of paramilitary and police forces for the purpose of maintaining law and order in the northwest of the province.
