GHALANAI: Hundreds of unemployed educated youths blocked the main Peshawar-Bajaur road in protest against recruitment of non-local people in the government and non-governmental organisations here on Wednesday.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans “give employment” and “stop economic murder of local youth”.

Speaking on the occasion, Mukhtaj Ullah, Javed Khan, Mohmand Welfare Organisation president Mir Afzal, PTI activist Sajid Khan and JUI-F agency chief Maulana Mohammad Arif complained that talented and experienced candidates appeared in tests and interviews conducted by various NGOs, but they were ignored in the recruitment process.

Sajid Khan said that qualified youth in the tribal agency were not being appointed in the local organisations, including the Levies force. He demanded of the political agent to appoint local candidates having CNICs of Mohmand Agency. He complained that some of the non-locals from Charsadda district had occupied key posts in the anti-polio programme in Khwezai and Biazai areas.

The PTI activist also criticised the role of parliamentarians from the agency who recommended only their relatives for recruitment in the development projects and NGOs.

The youths said that the governor and Fata Secretariat had issued a notification asking the NGOs working in Fata to hire local people, but to no avail. They alleged that the government departments, development projects and NGOs had selected non-local candidates while ignoring the deserving local youth of the tribal region.

Mr Mukhtaj said that he appeared in the interview for a post of social organiser, but as he had no reference letter he was not selected.

Mir Afzal complained that by hiring outsiders the NGOs working here had been violating the governor’s notification in this regard.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017