ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has announced that Agency Development Fund (ADF) has been withdrawn from the federally-administered tribal areas (FATA) as part of government’s efforts to bring the impoverished region into national mainstream.

“The FATA Reforms Implementation Committee has decided to spend Rs1 trillion in the tribal areas over the next 10 years and this will be in addition to the annual development budget. The purpose is to develop tribal areas at par with rest of the country,” Prime Minister Abbasi told the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday.

“The matter will be taken up at the next meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) and I  hope we will get it approved,” he said.

The government, he said, was fully committed to provide funds for the progress and prosperity of FATA. He said that local body elections would also be held before October 2018 so that people could elect their representatives.

The prime minister said that peace had already been restored in the tribal agencies due to the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan army.

Talking about the next general elections, he said that the government would consult with parliamentary leaders to reach a consensus on the time-frame for the dissolution of National and Provincial Assemblies.