US ambassador in Pakistan Ryan C Crocker called on the NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah (Retd) at the Governor's House here on Tuesday and discussed various matters of common interests. The US envoy was accompanied by Ms Lisa Chiles, Country Director of USAID; Ms Brooke Darby, Narcotics Affairs Section chief of US embassy and Michael A. Spangler, Principal Officer of the US consulate in Peshawar.

The ambassador assured the governor that the US government would like to extend its support in a big way in Pakistan's efforts to develop Fata.

Talking on this occasion the governor, while welcoming the offer, stated that Pakistan appreciates the commitment of United States in extending its support for the development of Fata, which is quite backward.

In response to another point he said' "the government is making every effort to curb poppy cultivation as well as to control drug trafficking and hopefully situation will be better this year."

Secretary to the governor Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad and secretary Security Fata Brigadier Mahmood Shah (Retd) was also present on this occasion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005