PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Monday approved release of an amount of over Rs5 billion for the internally displaced persons of Tirah area in Khyber tribal district.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and attended by the ministers, chief secretary and administrative secretaries.

Information minister Shafi Jan told reporters here that the cabinet approved the release of additional funds amounting to Rs5.499 billion to provide compensation to 6,900 additional verified internally displaced families from Tirah. He said that the approved funds would also cover the payment of the monthly food support allowance to eligible families in accordance with their prescribed entitlements.

According to him, the cabinet also approved an amendment to Schedule-IV of the KP Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Rules, 2021, granting a complete waiver of all prescribed fees for obtaining letters of administration and succession certificates by the legal heirs of martyrs.

`The exemption will apply to the families of martyrs of the Armed Forces, Police, and Parami-litary Forces, as well as civil servants who embraced martyrdom while performing official duties and civilians martyred in armed conflict or terrorist incidents.

Mr Jan said that the cabinet also approved the formation of the Debt Management Committee under Section 11(4) of the KP Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Management Act, 2022, to formulate policies for the effective functioning of the Debt Management Unit in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

He said the KP Public Resources for Inclusive Development Programme was also approved with a financing envelope of $200m.

The programme will introduce reforms in revenue mobilisation, improve the efficiency and prioritisation of public expenditures and strengthen the province`s fiscaland service delivery data ecosystem, according to him.

Also, the cabinet approved the allocation of Rs30 million for engaging the services of a law firm or private legal counsel to pursue the province`s case relating to the National Finance Commission before the competent constitutional forum.

The minister said the cabinet, recognising that the matter involves a continuous and long-termlegal process, authorised the finance department to independently select and engage law firms or private legal counsel, as and when required, and process all contractual obligations at the departmental level to ensure timely action and avoid procedural delays.

He said the decision was meant to strengthen the province`s legal efforts to secure its constitutional and financial rights under the NFC Award through all available legal avenues.

The cabinet approved a set of amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission Act, 2015, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the legislation and strengthening the institutional role of the Health Care Commission. The proposed amendments are intended to improve the Commission`s regulatory framework, enabling it to more effectively oversee healthcare standards and ensure the delivery of quality health services acrossthe province.

It also approved the establishment of a medical college in the existing building of the Regional Professional Development Centre (Male) in Jamrud area of Khyber tribal district.

The minister said the cabinet, on the recommendations of itsstanding committee, approved the extension of the Revised Shuhada Package, 2025, currently admissible to police personnel, to the personnel of the Narcotics Control Wing of the excise, taxation and narcotics control department.

He said the package would become applicable upon the formal notification of the Narcotics Control Wing as a uniformed force.

He said that the forum also approved a mechanism for the purity testing and valuation of gold recovered by NAB in the Kohistan financial scandal through a registered assayer.

The minister said that while implementing the previously approved framework for the receipt, custody, valuation and disposal of Kohistan scandal assets, it became necessary to determine the precise operational procedure followed by the Federal authorities for handling recovered material described as `said to be gold` prior to its monetisation.

He said the administration department initiated consultations with the State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Mint, Lahore, to ensure that the valuation and disposalprocessis carried outin accordance with established standards and procedures.-Bureau Report