GHALANAI: Tribesmen belonging to various localities of Mohmand Agency have urged the government to reconstruct the damaged buildings of health and educational institutions in the region.

Talking to journalists at Mohmand Press Club on Saturday, president Mohmand Welfare Organisation (MWO) Mir Afzal Mohmand said dozens of health units and more than hundreds schools had been either destroyed or damaged in the tribal region in militancy, but the government was yet to reconstruct the buildings.

Besides, he said a large number of health and educational institutions had been closed as a result of which, patients and students were suffering.

Mr Mohmand said despite knowing the facts, the officials concerned had failed to take initiatives for reconstruction of health units and schools.

Malik Hekal Khan, a resident of border area of Biazai, said hundreds of houses were destroyed during militancy but these were yet to be reconstructed.

Taj Muhammad, a resident of Gat Warsak, said their village had a population of about 1,000 people, but there was no health facility in the area. There is a lone primary school for boys in the area, while there is no health facility due to which critical patients often died while being taken to hospitals in Peshawar, he added.

A resident of Lakaro area of Safi tehsil said the stretch of main Peshawar-Bajaur road from Nahqi tunnel to Mamad Gat was in bad condition due to which local people were facing problems.

He said FWO was given the contract for rebuilding the road, but work on it could not start till date.

When contacted, agency surgeon Dr Razaullah said of the at least 12 health units damaged during militancy in the tribal

area community health centres (CHCs) Pandiali, Danish Kool, Daro, Had Kor and Kahri Darra had already been reconstructed with provision of staff and the required facilities.

“Three CHCs in Atta, Yousaf Khel and Lagham Ghundi have also been recently reconstructed,” he added.

The agency surgeon said construction of three basic health units in Chamarkand, Bahi Daag and Mamad Gat on the Pak-Afghan border had been included in the Annual Development Programme, 2015-16.

He said the health department planned to reconstruct all the damaged health facilities in the tribal agency.

Published in Dawn October 2nd, 2016