PESHAWAR(National times)- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday chaired an important jirga comprising parliamentarians, tribal elders and notables of District Bajaur. Participants of the jirga expressed full confidence in the Chief Minister and assured their complete cooperation. The meeting held detailed discussions on the law and order situation in the province, improvement of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, and the overall development strategy. The Chief Minister announced that the compensation amount for the reconstruction of partially damaged houses due to the recent operation in Bajaur has been increased from Rs160,000 to Rs500,000. Participants presented valuable suggestions for the establishment of lasting peace. The Chief Minister said that tribal elders, the public, police and security forces have made great sacrifices for restoring peace in the province. He said the role of the people and tribal elders of Bajaur in maintaining law and order is commendable. He said that at the time of the merger of former FATA, an annual allocation of Rs100 billion was promised, but only Rs168 billion has been released over the past seven years, while Rs532 billion is still outstanding against the federal government. He added that funds under the Annual Development Programme (AIP) are also not being provided by the federal government. The Chief Minister directed the authorities to increase the upper age limit for police recruitment in the merged districts, expedite work on the Bajaur martyrs’ package, and ensure security for tribal elders who played a role in restoring peace and contributing to national development. He further said that under the Roshan Tribes Package, existing schools and hospitals in the merged districts would be upgraded to provide quality facilities to the people.