GHALANAI: Majority of the students in Shaheed Banda area of Pandilai tehsil of Mohmand Agency says goodbye to education after passing their primary school examination as there is no middle or high school in the area.

Shaheed Banda is a far-flung and backward area of Lower Pandilai tehsil having no health and other basic facilities. Mustafa Khan, a resident, said that the primary school for boys was constructed in 1980 and the girls’ primary school in 2007 in Shaheed Banda, but there was still no middle and high school in the area.

“The nearest high school to Shaheed Banda is located at about 10 kilometres in Matta area of Charsadda district which has compelled many students to quit education halfway,” he said. The residents said that there was no health facility in the area and the patients even died on way to hospitals in Peshawar.

The residents said that they had also been facing problems in getting the computerized national identity card, domicile certificate as both the political administration and Charsadda administration had a sort of dispute over jurisdiction in the area. “The Charsddda district administration tells us that your area falls in Mohmand Agency,” said residents, adding that the authorities in both Charsadda and Mohmand Agency were not ready to solve their problems. They have demanded of the KP governor to announce development projects for the area.

FUNDS FOR STADIUM: Rs19 million has been approved for the construction of boundary wall and additional sitting space in the sports stadium in Ghalanai. The Mohmand Agency administration has asked the works department to complete the construction work within two months. Assistant political agent Haseebur Rehman said that the funds were approved by former governor Mahtab Ahmed Khan.

Meanwhile, local poets have urged tribal leaders to take solid steps for peace in the area. The demand was made during a poetry session which was organised by Momand Adabi Tolana at the local press club. The session was presided over by Mohmand Adabi Guncha president Ghulam Hussain.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2016