SWABI, March 2: The Swiss government is providing $12 million assistance to Pakistan in the current financial year for social development and the amount of aid for the next five years - 2006 to 2010 - will be finalized soon.

This was stated by Jean Francois of the Swiss government division here on Wednesday while taking to Dawn. He was accompanied by Laurent Ruedin of the Swiss Development Cooperation and Mohammad Tayab, project manager of the Liaison (civil society) Human and Institutional Development Programme.

They visited the Samajee Behbood Rabita Council (SBRC) office where they interacted with District Nazim Jehan Zeb Khan and Naib Nazim Liaqat Ahmad Khan, District Coordination Officer Mohammad Akbar Khan, lady councillors, government officials and newsmen, asking various questions about poverty, standard and way of life, justice system and the future prospects of the community.

Mr Francois said the objective of their visit to Pakistan was to get firsthand knowledge about the devolution of power and information about different sections of Pakistani society, the living standard of people and how they were getting justice and if they were unable to get justice from the judicial system.

The report of Mr Francois and Mr Ruedin to the Swiss government would determine the financial assistance to the government of Pakistan for the next five years. "We want joint fruitful interaction and after our report the Swiss government would finalize the financial assistance to Pakistan for the next five years," said Mr Francois.

SERVICE: The Directorate of Schools, NWFP, is going to regularize thousands of teachers in the province who have been getting fixed salaries as untrained teachers.

These teachers would also be paid arrears for the period they worked against fixed salaries. In a letter, a copy of which was made available to Dawn on Monday, the directorate had ordered Executive District Officers (Education) to furnish it with information about the period those teachers had worked against fixed salaries.

The EDOs were told through the letter that the directorate had observed that the teachers who had been appointed on fixed salaries had lodged appeals with the NWFP Services Tribunal for getting salaries according to a grade.

Some teachers said that the tribunal had given its verdict in their favour, compelling the education directorate to accept their demands. They had taken their case to the tribunal after the education department had rejected their pleas, they said.