MINGORA: Speakers at a seminar in Saidu Sharif urged the local elders to educate young generation about the former princely state of Swat.

“It was a social welfare state,” they told the seminar. The seminar was held to pay homage to first ruler of Swat Miangul Abdul Wadood alias Badshah Sahib and last ruler Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb. Swat was merged into Pakistan in 1969.

Miangul Sheharyar Amirzeb, the grandson of the last ruler of Swat, said on the occasion that former princely state had focused on education, health and communication sectors to benefit people.

He said that both Badshah Sahib and Wali Sahib spread a network of schools and hospitals and built roads in Swat when the surrounding areas were far from development. “The present rulers must strengthen the public service sectors instead of weakening these sectors,” said Mr Amirzeb.

He urged the elders to educate the younger generation about the former Swat state.

Historian Pervaish Shaheen said on the occasion that Miangul Abdul Wadood Badshah Sahib was illiterate but he understood the importance of education. He established first school at his house in the former Swat state in 1924, he added.

“They (the former rulers) imposed law and made the entire state peaceful. No citizen dared to commit crime. That’s why the ratio of crimes was almost zero during the state era,” he said.

The speakers said that rulers of former Swat state wanted to make the area prosperous and peaceful. They focused on education and established thousands of schools in every corner of the state, they added.

Earlier, Mr Amirzeb, who is also nazim for Saidu Sharif union council, welcomed the participants of the seminar. He said that participation of people in the seminar in such a large to pay homage to the former rulers meant that residents of Swat, Buner and Shangla still loved them.

“The rulers of former Swat state enforced people-friendly policies. That’s why people remember them with love,” he added.

Published in Dawn October 17th, 2016