PESHAWAR, March 26: The provincial government's apathy has brought the already rusty performance of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation a notch lower , rendering the foundation's service delivery system in the Frontier province and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas ineffective.

The foundation was established in 1979 for the welfare of expatriates besides being tasked to provide community services to their families. Notwithstanding the huge amount of remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis, the foundation has set up only three schools and two vocational training centres in the entire province, while it has done virtually nothing in the seven tribal agencies, except organising a few medical camps in the area.

The OPF officials blamed the NWFP government for the pathetic situation, saying that the quarters concerned were least bothered about the welfare of thousands of overseas Pakistanis belonging to the province and Fata. Expatriate workers have so far contributed more than Rs1.89 billion under the head of OPF welfare fund, official said.

A secondary school in Chakdara, Malakand region, which was established by the OPF 10 years ago for the children of overseas workers, fell prey to the provincial government's antagonistic attitude. Presently, only three schools are functioning in Mansehra, Hangu and Dera Ismail Khan.

OPF officials said that the Chakdara secondary school had closed down and its building was vacated when the provincial government decided to shift the board of intermediate and secondary education from Saidu Sharif (Swat) to the Upper Dir.

In the process, about 400 children suffered, though the board offices were still functioning in Swat, they said. A housing scheme spanning over 982 kanals near Peshawar had been planned for the overseas Pakistanis, but the future of the project hangs in the balance due to various reasons.

Similarly, the OPF started ambulance service in the province to help overseas workers to transport dead bodies from Peshawar to their destinations. But, the ambulance service was wound up after other departments encroached upon the vehicles, an official said. Now, the foundation hired the services of Edhi ambulance for this purpose.