MINGORA: The government of Denmark was contributing to multi-donor trust fund to revive business activities in the conflict-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, said Darriann Riber, Counsellor for Development at Royal Danish Embassy, Islamabad.

During her visit to the picturesque valley on Wednesday, she told Dawn that Swat was affected by conflict and natural disasters in the past but things were changed positively as people seemed optimistic about their future.

“Our government is providing financial assistance to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in different sectors in the conflict-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata under the multi-donor trust fund (MDTF) to habilitate businesses in these areas,” she said.

Ms Riber visited Swat along with a team comprising Mohammad Ishfaq Khan, national programme manager for Pakistan, Arif Tabassum, deputy head development cooperation, and Juwairia Sultan, programme officer at Danish Embassy in Islamabad. The team evaluated the on-going projects aimed at rehabilitating marble industries, flour mills and traditional textile units in Swat.

Ms Riber said that she came to Swat for the first time. “It is rightly called the Switzerland of Asia but steps are needed to resolve the issues and problems being faced by the people of the area,” she added. She said that people of Swat had a lot of concerns about their business.

It was encouraging aspect that their projects, aimed at rehabilitating sick industries in the area, were being executed successfully, the diplomat said, adding that the projects were bearing positive results.

Ms Riber said that Denmark government along with 10 other donors was focusing on the affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata including Swat since the project was launched in 2010. “We are working on a five-year programme, which would be concluded in 2016,” she said.

Ms Riber said that after the completion of the programme, they would evaluate it. If they felt that there was need for another programme then they might launch it to provide an opportunity to the local businessmen for revival of their business, she added.

She said that they were also working on psychological rehabilitation of children in the targeted areas. She said that Swat saw a lot of incidents during last few years, including the law and order situation and natural disasters in shape of flood in 2010. “We think that there are a lot of issues in Swat, which are needed to be addressed,” she added.

To a query, Ms Riber said that education, particularly female education, was still an issue in the areas that were affected by law and order situation. “Danish government is not only cooperating with Unicef to rehabilitate schools but it is also struggling to assist the provincial government in providing better services to its people,” she added. She said that they had limited resources but their government wanted to assist Pakistan, particularly Swat and other affected areas.

OFFICIAL SUSPENDED: Deputy Commissioner Mehmood Aslam Wazir on Wednesday suspended an official of expanded programme on immunisation at Shalpeen Khwazakhela union council for showing inefficiency in their duty.

According to a press release, the deputy commissioner took the action after 21-month-old Abu Talha was tested positive for polio in the area two days ago. The press release said Abdul Kabir EPI technician at Shalpeen was suspended over inefficiency and an inquiry was also ordered against him.

Meanwhile, on the directives of the provincial government a special team of the health department will visit Tarugay area of the union council on Thursday for anti-polio vaccination. Furthermore, three rounds of anti-polio campaign will be started in the entire district shortly.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2014