Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has pressed ahead with the province's Rs160 billion federal development package, saying about 70 per cent of the funds will go to the merged tribal districts. Speaking on Friday, he said federal approvals and the package would be used to revive the provincial economy, and he assured residents that spending would be transparent.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the Rs160 billion package on 22 October, when he addressed the Area Representative and Development Council in Peshawar. The council represents 12 districts facing serious security challenges: Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan Upper and South Waziristan Lower.

Mr Kundi had already set out the split earlier this month, telling a ceremony in Peshawar that 70 per cent would go to the 12 council districts and 30 per cent to other districts. He assured people in the merged districts that they would not be deprived of their rightful share of the money.

The governor also ordered urgent work on transport projects in Peshawar, including faster completion of the Jamil Chowk underpass and keeping the Northern Bypass on schedule. He directed power officials to protect regular bill-paying consumers through transformer-based load management and smart transformers, and to act against electricity theft and line losses.

An anti-encroachment drive will continue, with a complaint cell proposed to review claims of wrongful demolition, compensation where due and designated spaces for street vendors. Mr Kundi has held administrative control of the province since governor's rule and emergency were imposed on 11 October. Read the full report on Particle.