ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: The Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) is likely to assume a major role in developing the tribal region on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border, upgrading entry posts and monitoring the movement along the border after withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan next year.

A senior government official told Dawn that a nine-member CBSA delegation headed by Canadian High Commissioner Randolph Mank would hold meetings with Pakistani officials this week to assess investment required for the development of the tribal region.

The delegation will meet ministers and senior officials of the ministries of commerce and interior on Feb 22.

It will visit the border areas before going to Afghanistan to look into work required to generate economic activities as part of a broader international effort for mainstreaming the Pakhtun people to reduce security threat.

Because of the fact that the government, owing to limited resources, could not initiate development and economic activities in Swat and Malakand which were cleared of terrorists by security forces, Pakistan is encouraging international efforts, led by Canada, to take up the task in Fata and across the border.

“The size of the expected investment is not clear yet but will depend on the government’s assurance about a corruption-free spending of foreign investment in Fata,” the official said.

He said the government would have to put in place effective and credible monitoring and audit systems.

“We have to put in place tools to identify projects and implement them in a transparent and effective manner to convince the Canadians to get over prefixed notions,” he added.

“The Canadian government, with the support of the United States, is interested in making substantial investments in the tribal region to enable peaceful withdrawal of coalition forces and repatriation of hardware from Afghanistan.”

He said the CSBA was expected to take a lead role in the supervision of security posts on the border, particularly at the Torkham and Ghulam Mohammad crossing points.

“Unlike the US, the Canadian border agency is not well versed with the ground situation in the border areas but also does not attract hostile sentiments in the tribal region,” he said, adding that the US did not want to be on the forefront in this regard and hence the CSBA would be paying an exploratory visit to both sides of the border.

The delegation will also hold meetings with security officials and the leadership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.