PESHAWAR: Students belonging to Kurram Agency have expressed their serious concern over delay in repair and reconstruction of damaged buildings of educational institutions and urged the federal government to take immediate steps for restoration of educational activities in the tribal region.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, Kurram Students Organisation (KSO) president Waheed Khan said that about 100 buildings of both boys and girls schools had been destroyed or partially damaged during the military operation against terrorists, but could not be rebuilt so far.

He asked the political administration to double the amount of scholarship for students so that they could continue their studies, as in the prevailing situation they were unable to meet their routine expenditures.

Say Fata being kept backward deliberately

He said that the education sector had been affected badly due to operations in the tribal region, and as a result as many as 400,000 students were deprived of education facility. He said that the tribesmen had been facing difficulties for almost last three decades, but the government did not compensate them so far.

Accompanied by the organisation’s general secretary Mohammad Yousaf and other office-bearers, Mr Khan urged the government to take serious steps for reconstruction of damaged educational institutions in the agency so that students could start attending classes without further wastage of time.

He said that Fata had deliberately been kept backward in all fields, particularly in the education sector. He alleged that the political administration was a major hurdle in the progress and development of Kurram Agency, saying it had failed to resolve the problems of students.

The KSO president also contested the government’s claim of enrolling over 20,000 students during awareness and enrolment campaign in a month.

“Achieving this target is impossible because most of the schools are still closed for want of repair and reconstruction,” he said, adding that during the enrolment drive Fata teachers were also on strike.

Mr Khan demanded of Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to take action against the high officials of political administration for allegedly creating hurdles in promotion of education in Kurram Agency.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2016