BATTAGRAM: A group of people of Allai tehsil have demanded of the government to bifurcate Battagram district and give Allai a status of separate district.

They were talking to mediapersons during their visit to the Battagram Press Club here on Sunday. The demand came after the division of Kohistan into three separate districts, including Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai Palas.

They claimed that the provincial government had included some areas of Allai in the Kolai Palas district, which irked the people and they were now demanding a separate district to protect their interests.

Niamatullah, a resident of Roop Kanai village of Allai tehsil, said that members of the provincial assembly representing Kohistan succeeded in their aim to establish new districts, while the MPA from Battagram had failed to safeguard interests of his constituency.

Mufti Khalilullah and said that before this Kohistan district was divided into two districts, but the chief minister later announced the third district. Another resident, Mohammad Sharif, lamented the apathy of local JUI-F MPA and tehsil government of PTI, saying that one party was a coalition partner in the federal government and the other part of the provincial government, but despite that they had failed to safeguard the rights of their voters.

Maulana Ghulamullah said that the area had been kept deprived of health and education facilities. “We want a separate district so that people can get education, health and other facilities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2017