KHYBER - First ever in history of erstwhile Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehmood Khan was held here at Jirga Hall Landi Kotal on Thursday.
The meeting had been organised in tribal district on the special directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan that was attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary and heads of departments.
As per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa establishment department, 16-point agenda had been compiled for the historical meeting.
Later, while briefing the media, KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said for the first time ever in history, provincial cabinet meeting was held in merged tribal district in which all important points were discussed thoroughly especially in connection of ex-tribal belt.
He added that timeline had been formulated for better functioning of educational institutions of ex-tribal districts adding that it was decided to resume destroyed railway track from Peshawar to Torkham.
The information minister informed that health policy was also approved in the cabinet meeting and plan had been chalked out to enhance tourism. Three percent share in NFC Award will be provided to the tribal districts in the upcoming budget, Yousafzai maintained.
He said that the cabinet had decided to make effective legislation to halt money laundering in the province. The procedure was okayed for recruitment of 17,000 employees in the meeting, he added. He further said that committee was formed to safeguard rights of miners and labourers in the province.
Solarisation of 300 mosques would be made in near future, he told. Prior to it, high security measures had been adopted in Landi Kotal on the eve of the cabinet meeting and extra-security personnel were deployed on Pak-Afghan highway and all other important points to avoid any untoward incident, the administration official told.
Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf local workers received the cabinet members warmly at Charwazgai check point and expressed their amusement on finding of their provincial leadership among themselves.
Separately, the local journalists were barred from the coverage of the important event who recorded their protest against it. On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl district Khyber chapter postponed their protest regarding holding of cabinet meeting in Landi Kotal.
Meanwhile, while provincial cabinet meeting was in progress in Landi Kotal jirga hall, a mortar shell, fired from across the border landed at a house here in Bhai Khel,Shiekhmal Khel area on Thursday noon.
The official and local sources informed that the shell was fired from Lal Pura, the Afghan bordering town and hit residence of Mukaram Khan, three kilometers away from the meeting site.
However, no causality was reported, the resident told. Soon after the incident, the forces personnel moved to the spot and defused the shell, forces official told.