ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Monday to review development projects in tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Information Minister Shibli Faraz quoted the prime minister as saying that the people of the tribal districts are close to his heart and that he wants early implementation of the development projects there.

The minister said the federal government has released its share of funds as decided in the agreement of 2018. He said a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the premier’s Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to coordinate with the provinces and ensure availability of funds.

He expressed the hope that all these development projects in the merged districts will begin in the next financial year.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Special Assistant Dr. Shahbaz Gil, and senior officials attended the meeting.

KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, and Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht also attended the meeting through video link.