Govt to spend Rs100bn on tribal areas' development annually: PM Imran

SPINKAI RAGHZAI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday announced that his government has decided to spend Rs100 billion on development projects in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to make up for the tribal people’s losses during the war on terror, ARY News reported.

Speaking to a gathering of tribal elders in Spinkai Raghzai area of FATA, the PM said that he was the first to speak about the sufferings of people of tribal areas and now that he is in power, will make every effort to uplift FATA.

“We will spend on you what past governments have not spent in last 70 years and will bring tribal areas and Balochistan at par with other developed areas of the country,” said the premier.

He announced that the development projects will include power projects, schools, hospitals and sports facilities for the people of tribal areas.

“I am not like the past premiers of the country who knew nothing about tribal areas, I know what you people have gone through and know your culture and values,” said Imran Khan.

The PM maintained that he knows the people of tribal areas have to travel to Karachi and even Middle East and bear hardships to earn their livelihood, the children are deprived of education and the areas lack basic facilities.

He was of the view that the change he wants to bring in Pakistan is aimed at equal opportunities for development in all areas of the country.

“In past several years, the rich have become richer and poor have become poorer in Pakistan but our model is different, all we need is to come out of the mess, the past government have left us in,” said Imran Khan.

The PM, while concluding his speech, requested the tribal elders to trust him through difficult times and promised that it will be under him that the whole country will one day see peace and prosperity.