LAKKI MARWAT: Local government representatives and elders here have demanded of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to announce a comprehensive development package for the southern districts during his visit to Bannu on May 3.

Talking to this correspondent here on Wednesday, Samandi village council nazim Abdul Waheed and local elders said that the southern districts of the province had been ignored in development by the previous governments. They said that the people of southern districts had pinned high hopes on the upcoming visit of the prime minister.

They said that Lakki Marwat was among the most backward and neglected districts as the residents could not see any development projects during last many years. He said that residents of several localities of the district even lacked basic amenities of life.

Mr Waheed said that Kurram Par area lagged behind in development as it could not get its due share in uplift funds. He said that the people of four union councils of Kurram Par had not been given natural gas connections as yet. He said that gas facility had been provided to the Lakki city, Bannu and DI Khan from the main pipeline passing near Kurram Par.

The elders also demanded construction of a bridge on Kurram river near Kaichi Kamar to connect the people of rural localities with Lakki city. They hoped that during his visit the prime minister would make announcements to resolve their problems on priority.

ENROLMENT DRIVE: Assistant political agent of Frontier Region, Lakki, Javed Ali kicked off enrolment drive in the area on Wednesday.

At a function held in government middle school, Shah Mohammad, he entered names of several out-of-school children in the admission register. Education department officials and tribal elders were also present on the occasion.

Mr Ali called upon the parents to send their children to schools. He asked the education department authorities to ensure admission of all out-of-school children and launch an awareness campaign in the tribal region with the help of teachers, volunteers, tribal elders and youths in this regard.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2016