South Waziristan: Zardari directs finalisation of post-operation plan

President Asif Ali Zardari has directed Governor NWFP Owais Ghani to urgently finalise the comprehensive rehabilitation cum developmental package for stabilising the post operation South Waziristan.
"As we draw towards a close of the anti-militancy operation we need to fine-tune the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan for South Waziristan so as to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure on the one hand and to drive out the ghost of militancy for ever from the region", the President said in a communication to Governor Owais Ghani on Sunday.
Briefing newsmen, spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the President will also hold a briefing by relevant departments in the Presidency after Eid to review the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan. The plan will be put into action soon after the cessation of operation in the South Waziristan Agency, he said, adding, the plan will have the short term, medium term and long term objectives.
In the short term the displaced people will be rehabilitated in their homes and the damaged infrastructure repaired. In the medium term new developmental projects will be undertaken that provide new economic opportunities to the people.
Whereas in the long term measures will be taken to reform the militant mindset through education, social and political reforms and giving people ownership in mega development projects through public-private partnership, he said. Farhatullah Babar said that the President emphasised the need for a concerted post operation plan to be put into place soon after the end of hostilities and the elimination of militants in South Waziristan.
The President envisages the plan to mesh into the anti-militancy structure at the national level involving several elements such as managing the border security by stabilising the adjoining areas on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. Long term rehabilitation of the economy, setting up of a separate civilian security structure to fight militants and eliminating the sources of funding of militants, he said.