SHANGLA: The Gujjar community of Shangla district on Monday demanded of the provincial government to ensure provision of educational facilities in the hilly areas so their children could get education at their doorstep.

The demand was made at a meeting of the community organised by Gujjar Youth Forum at Kunshi area of Bisham. The meeting was attended by members of the Gujjar community from across Shangla and adjoining Battagram district.

Anjuman-i-Gujjran, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Zulfiqar Ali Gujjar, and others spoke on the occasion.

“Gujjar community has been kept deprived of basic rights since the partition. Most of our people are populated in the hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but they don’t have the facility of hospitals for treatment of patients,” Zulfiqar Ali said.

He said the political leaders got votes from the community on the promise of welfare of their children, but to no avail.

District council member Sarfaraz Gujjar said there was a large population of the community in Shangla, but they had no primary school. He said their children could not afford education of private institutes because of their high fees.

“The provincial government of PTI should establish schools in the hilly areas as per its policy to enable Gujjar children to get education near their homes,” he demanded.

The other speakers vowed to fight for their rights at every forum.

They said Anjuman-i-Gujjran and Gujjar Youth Forum were apolitical organisations which worked for the welfare of the community in Shangla and neighbouring districts.

STUDENT SOCIETY FORMED: Students from Shangla district have formed a body in Peshawar to work for their welfare.

Engr Sayed Basit Ali was elected president of the cabinet, Ijaz Ahmed chairman, Tariq Aziz general secretary, Hizbullah senior vice president, Afsarul Mulk Afghan legal adviser, Mian Safeer information sectary and Fazal Rehman finance secretary of the student society, respectively.

The newly-elected president of the society assured the students that he would make every effort for their betterment.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2017