July 20, 2007	Friday	Rajab 04, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 19: Provincial authorities have asked the army to evacuate soldiers from hospitals and educational institutes in Lower Dir and Swat districts where the federal government has announced sending in more troops to curb militancy, well-placed sources said.

“Following NWFP government directives, respective district coordination officers have intimated army commanders to shift troops from government buildings to other places in the area,” a senior official told Dawn.

“Military officers have agreed to vacate the public buildings, but a major concern is where these thousands of troops will move,” he said.

The troops have taken over buildings of the Malakand University in Chakdara, a hospital in the Samarbagh area and a teachers’ training institute in Timergara in the Lower Dir district.

In Swat, the army has taken over buildings of the Mata Degree College, passport office, Malakand Development Authority in the Kanju town, Matta police station, Frontier House in Kabal and the Saidu Sharif airport. The army has also occupied buildings in the Tank district.

Officials said about 600 soldiers had been stationed in the Samarbagh hospital building.

The executive district officer, health, has informed provincial authorities that troop deployment in the hospital has caused resentment among local people and staff.

“The occupation of the hospital by army personnel can create law and order situation in the area,” said the EDO in a letter sent to provincial authorities. The newly-established hospital is the only health facility for people of the remote area. A resident of Samarbagh told Dawn by telephone that soldiers subjected hospital staff and patients to body search. He said female patients wearing burqa were not allowed in the hospital without search, which annoyed the people.

Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has also said troops should not stay at schools and hospitals and directed authorities to make alternative arrangements.

Over 2,000 soldiers have been stationed at the Malakand University campus, where 1,200 students are studying in various disciplines. An official of the university said annual examinations were scheduled from Aug 1. Troops have been stationed in hostels and the administration block of the university.

“Deployment of troops at the campus will embarrass students and staff,” the official said.

Sources said arrival of thousands of troops in Swat and Lower Dir districts had put the local administration in a fix because of the accommodation problem. An official said there was not a single additional building in the Lower Dir district to accommodate soldiers.

“Certainly, the district administration has no option, but to accommodate troops in schools and hospitals,” he said, adding that the district government did not have a single extra room to allot it to security forces. He said this was the provincial government’s responsibility to find out appropriate places before calling out troops, he said.