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PESHAWAR, Dec 9: The Canadian government has agreed to widen the scope of cooperation in various fields in the Frontier province.
This was stated by Canadian High Commissioner Margaret Huber during a meeting with Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani here on Tuesday.
Ms Huber said the Canadian government would look into the possibility of providing financial assistance in the NWFP.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr Durrani said that global peace and better working relations among nations was a pre-requisite for the development of humanity.
The chief minister said the international community would be mistaken if they continued to cherish apprehensions against the provincial government. “We have been labelled as Taliban despite the fact that we have been a part of the democratic process since the inception of Pakistan.”
He said presence of weapons of all types and models in this part of the world was a gift of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. This region was exposed to free flow of weapons and the people had to get all kinds of weapons because of a war that was fought by the international community for its own interests.
Referring to the government’s priorities, Mr Durrani said education, health and other social sectors would continue to be the priority areas where the government would work in a certain direction.
The funding for social sectors particularly in health and education sectors had been doubled. Poverty, he added, was creating disharmony in the society.
“In education, our focus would stay on controlling the drop-out and push-out ratio of students and we have taken short-term and long-term measures to control the situation,” he added.
Rolando Bahamondes, counsellor (development) at the Canadian Embassy, was also present at the meeting.
UPLIFT PACKAGE: Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani announced a Rs1,200 million package for the development of different sectors in Kohistan district.
He also approved a Rs150 million grant for the development of social sectors in the district on Tuesday. The chief minister said that poppy cultivation and deforestation would not be tolerated in the district.
He announced the package while addressing a jirga from Kohistan district here. The jirga was led by MNAs and MPAs of the area.
The package to be finalized by the NWFP government in collaboration with donor agencies would include construction of roads, communication, drinking water, electricity, rural development, agriculture extension, environment, spurs and forestation. The projects would be completed in three years.
referendum: Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba (IJT), NWFP chapter, has demanded lifting of ban on student unions in educational institutions so that their rights are safeguarded.
Speaking at a press conference here on Monday at the Peshawar Press Club, IJT Nazim, Peshawar University campus, Abidur Rehman, said that his organization would hold a referendum on Dec 16 in all the colleges and universities to seek opinion of students, their parents, and other sections of society on whether or not unions should be restored.
A campaign has started in this respect to let the students know about the importance of a student union, Mr Rehamn said.
He said that doctors, politicians, teachers, traders and even religious groups had a forum to safeguard their rights and raise their voice in case these are infringed upon.
