FATA's Rationalization Policy Being Reviewed: Minister

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th August, 2016) : Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt (Gen) Abdul Qadir Baloch Thursday informed the National Assembly that Rationalization Policy devised by the then governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Abbasi for Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) was being reviewed and no educational and health institution was being closed. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice raised by Muhammad Jamal-ud-din and others regarding exclusion of various development schemes of the FATA, he said that review committee has already been set up in this regard. He said the KPK governor has also been asked to put the rationalization process on hold till further order.

The minister said there were disparities with regard to number of educational institutions, students-teachers ratio in certain agencies, therefore some measures were taken to settle these issues in the past.

He said that no school has been closed, if any that was closed in de-populated areas only, when people left the area.

However, with the return of IDPs to their native areas, all these schools and health centres would resume operation. He said no employees of these institutions were being laid off and the institutions would continue functioning to provide facilities to tribal students. He appreciated people of FATA, saying that they rendered supreme sacrifices for sake of the country and now there was a need to heal up their wounds and assist them on all fronts.