KHAR: Speakers at a seminar have called for improving the standard of education as it is the most effective tool to develop tolerance, discourage militancy and boost socio-economic condition of the tribal areas.

“Education is the most powerful tool to crush the trend of militancy and resolve the longstanding issues in the tribal areas,” said speakers at the seminar on “Importance of education to overcome challenges in tribal areas”, which was organised here on Wednesday by Fata Research Centre( FRC), an Islamabad-based think tank.

They regretted that the state of education sector was very poor in the region. Students, teachers and political and social activists attended the conference, which was addressed by FRC president Dr Ashraf Ali, Prof Gul Badshah,

Prof Attaullah Khan, Nawabzada Jalaluddin and others.

The speakers highlighted the importance of education in socio-economic and human development and said that ensuring provision of quality education was important for ending militancy.

Dr Ali said that education had a big role in developing efficiency of human resources and improving civilisation in the tribal areas.

He said that education was the best tool to reject all sorts of violence and to restore the soft image and reputation of tribesmen.

He said that militancy had affected the infrastructure and vital sectors in the tribal areas, but education was the worst hit.

He advised the students to face the challenges with courage and focus on education so as to succeed in life.

The speakers noted that the government schools in tribal areas lacked teachers and other facilities, which had been forcing the students to end their studies. They asked the government to take steps for improving the state of education in tribal areas.

AFGHAN SOLDIER RETURNS: A soldier of Afghan National Army has left for his home country after remaining admitted at the agency headquarters hospital, Khar, for appendix surgery for the last several days.

Officials said that the soldier, Bashir Khan, was shifted to the hospital after he complained of appendix pain during duty in the bordering region of Afghanistan’s Kunar province.

They said that following his recovery the security forces took the Afghan soldier to the Pak-Afghan border where his colleagues received him.

Published in Dawn March 12th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play