PM announces Rs160bn special package for KP

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced Rs160 billion for a federal development programme for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pledging support for public welfare, employment and economic opportunities in the province, particularly its merged tribal districts.

The announcement came during a meeting of the federal apex committee in Peshawar, chaired by the prime minister, to review the province’s overall situation following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule.

The programme, titled “Badalta, Nikhrta, Mazboot Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” (A Changing, Flourishing and Stronger Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), is intended to support development across the province, with particular emphasis on underdeveloped areas and districts affected by terrorism, according to a Prime Minister’s Office statement.

The meeting also reviewed measures to improve governance, strengthen accountability and transparency, and enhance public service delivery.

The apex committee reaffirmed the state’s resolve to eliminate terrorism in all its forms, dismantle militant networks and target their facilitators and support structures.

It stressed the need for sustained coordination among state institutions, effective intelligence sharing and concrete action against militant groups, saying the fight against terrorism was a shared national responsibility.

The meeting also discussed measures to strengthen the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other law enforcement agencies through professional training, modern equipment, improved infrastructure, enhanced intelligence-gathering capabilities and better coordination.

The prime minister reiterated the federal government’s commitment to supporting the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying lasting peace, protection of life and property, improved governance and faster socioeconomic development were national priorities.

He said the sacrifices made by the province’s people in the fight against terrorism would not go in vain and called for a final, decisive effort to eliminate militancy, adding that failure was not an option.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other senior civil and military officials.

Separately, the prime minister met members of the Area Representatives Development Council (ARDC), comprising representatives from the tribal districts.

The council members stressed that sustainable peace and security were essential for economic prosperity and improving living standards. They reaffirmed their commitment to defeating terrorism and supporting security forces and law enforcement agencies.

The meeting underscored the need to translate gains against militancy into tangible development, improved public services and economic opportunities, particularly in the merged tribal districts.