TIMERGARA: A jirga of political parties here on Friday rejected the government decision to impose tax on collection of sand and gravel from the Panjkora riverbed and demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision.

The jirga was attended by leaders of JI, PPP, ANP, PTI, JUI-F, PML-N, QWP and local government representatives, including district nazim Mohammad Rasool, naib nazim Abdul Rashid, Khall tehsil nazim Yousaf Adil, former lawmakers Mehmood Zeb and Malik Behram Khan.

The participants were informed that the government had imposed heavy tax on collection of sand and gravel on the banks of rivers and streams, which was uncalled-for.

The political leaders said Malakand division had been a tax-free zone since 1969 as the people were promised not to pay any tax for at least 100 years at the time when the then states of Dir, Swat and Chitral were merged into Pakistan.

They said the 2010 flash floods had washed away their agricultural lands located along the banks of rivers and streams, inflicting huge losses on landowners.

The participants threatened to bring people on roads if their demand was not met.

Later, a delegation led by district nazim met with deputy commissioner Sarmad Saleem Akram and informed him of the landowners’ reservations. The DC assured that he would convey their reservations to the provincial authorities.

FACILITIES DEMANDED: Residents of Bandagai, a remote village in Samarbagh, on Friday demanded of the government to provide them with education, health and communication facilities.

They blocked the Munda-Samarbagh road at Sheena to protest against the JI lawmakers despite rain.

On the occasion, the elders complained that their village had no road, girls school and dispensary. They said the residents had built a dirt road to the village on their own, which became unusable during rains. They said girl students quit education after primary as there was no school for girls in the area.

They said the villagers voted for the JI candidates for decades but their village still remained backward.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018