PESHAWAR: Government officers hailing from Dawar tribe of North Waziristan Agency have formed a welfare body to work for rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure in the violence-hit area.

More than 50 serving officers, including bureaucrats, doctors and health professionals, serving in different departments in Peshawar and other parts of the country formed the welfare body named ‘Tochi’ and elected its office-bearers at a meeting held here on Sunday, according to a statement.

The participants noted that people of Dawar tribe were the most affected people who had suffered economically and socially in the fight against militancy. They said residential and commercial properties of people of North Waziristan Agency in general and Dawar tribe in particular had been damaged in Miramshah and Mirali.

It was decided that the newly formed organisation would form committees to work for rehabilitation of people of Dawar tribe and reconstruction of damaged infrastructures, including schools, health centres, agriculture and other sectors.

The statement said that schools, hospitals and other offices had been turned into ghost houses and the organisation would approach the government bodies and donors to rehabilitate these deserted buildings. It was stated that Tochi would work as a non-political body.

Sharifullah Khan Dawar was elected as head of the executive council of Tochi, Tahir Khan general secretary, Dr Ziaullah coordinator, Hakim Jan Dawar senior vice-president and Mehmood Jan Dawar finance secretary, respectively.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016