Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that it is important to follow the military action in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with an 'aggressive' development programme to prevent extremism from raising its head once again and bring a visible change in the socio-economic conditions of the people of the region.

Speaking during a presentation on development plans for the Tribal areas in the Presidency here, Zardari's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar quoted the President, as saying: "Military action was essential in wiping out terrorism and militancy, but it was not the permanent solution."

Zardari highlighted that the lack of education and job opportunities in FATA forced the youth to be exploited by the Taliban and other extremist groups.

He asked the concerned authorities to ensure transparency in all development projects so that the people of the region are benefited accordingly.

During the presentation, Zardari was told that development works in FATA would be funded by Annual Development Plan (ADP), the World Bank-administered Trust Fund and the USAID, The Daily Times reports. (ANI)

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