ISLAMABAD, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A Pakistani official on Tuesday announced that the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Malakand in North West Frontier Province (NWFR) would return to their homes within days.

    Speaking at the concluding session of NWFP Assembly called for presentation of annual budget, NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti said repatriation of IDPs to their homes was not a matter of months, weeks, but they would go back to home within days.

    He thanked people of NWFP for accommodating IDPs at their homes, because 80 percent of the displaced families lived out of camps while the remaining 20 percent shifted to camps.

    The Chief Minister said post-operation settlement of IDPs is biggest challenge for government as compared to settling the displaced persons.

    He said, for this purpose the government has chalked out strategy to strengthen civil administration besides increasing the number of police stations.

    Amir Haider Hoti informed the house that the government has given top priority to internal security with special emphasis on security of Malakand division.

    "We will not give any space to militants to re-group and reorganize in Malakand," he vowed.

    He said the government has decided to increase strength of Police force in Malakand division by recruiting 2,500 Special Police Officers and retired Armymen.

    Similarly, he added, a force of 7,000 local people would be formed under Community Policing Program. The official selected under this programme would get a salary of 10,000 Pakistan rupees each.

    The Chief Minister apprised the house that the federal government has approved a package for improving internal security in NWFP and for this purpose an amount of 24 billion rupees would be provided annually in four installment.

    He also thanked the federal government for increasing the role of the province in utilization of foreign donations for IDPs. (1 U.S. dollar equals 80.95 Pakistan rupees)