Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered immediate release of development funds for the merged districts of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
During a meeting with a five-member delegation of the National Assembly members from the merged districts, the prime minister directed the relevant authorities to get the approval of the funds required for the schemes concerned from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet as soon as possible. PM Shehbaz said the government was committed to prioritizing the development of the merged districts.
He said the government was taking concrete steps for the development of financially weak areas of the country. The MNAs, including Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Sajid Tori, Moulana Jamal ud Din, Ali Wazir, and Mohsin Dawar informed the prime minister about the problems and the ongoing development projects in their constituencies. Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar and Minister for Economic Affairs Division Ayaz Sadiq also attended the meeting.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep grief over the death of Umrah pilgrims who were killed in a bus accident in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The prime minister expressed his sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured, said a press release issued by PM Office Media Wing on Tuesday. The prime minister also prayed for the departed souls. According to media reports, at least 20 Umrah pilgrims died and 29 others were injured after a bus carrying them overturned, collided with a bridge, and caught fire in Aqaba Shaar in the Asir region.
