SHANGLA: District nazim Niaz Ahmed Khan has criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its failure to initiate development schemes in the district, saying that a prison facility pledged by the chief minister a year ago is yet to be established.

Speaking to media persons at Alpuri here on Tuesday, he said that due to absence of the prison facility the local magistrates had to send all prisoners as well as those involved in minor crimes to the district prison in Daggar, Buner district.

He said that the families of the inmates had to face difficulties to go to Buner from Shangla to see their relatives in the jail. He said that the provincial government had issued a directive a year ago for establishment of the jail besides launching other development projects, but it failed to implement its orders.

The nazim demanded of the provincial government to initiate development schemes and provide basic facilities to the people of the backward district.

PLANTATION DRIVE: Chief conservator, Malakand-III project, Sher Nawaz has asked the people to extend cooperation to the forest department for success of the plantation campaign.

He was speaking to media persons after inaugurating the spring plantation drive under the billion trees tsunami project of the KP government here. Shangla DFO Amjad Ali, deputy commissioner Abdul Kabir and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Mr Nawaz said that over 2.5 million saplings would be planted across Shangla district under the current phase of the tree plantation drive. He said that the forest department had been giving saplings free of cost to the people.

The DFO said that for the next phase 2.7 million saplings had been planted on 2,500 acres in the district. He said that action would be taken against those involved in illegal cutting of trees.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2017