MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs1 billion funds for the completion of work on the schools destroyed by the 2005 earthquake in Hazara division, said provincial chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz on Wednesday.

“Following the release of funds last week,I hope that the six months Supreme Court deadline for the reconstruction of the remaining earthquake-hit schools will be met,” he told reporters after formally launching the academic session at the newly-reconstructed Government Girls Primary School, Kotli Sheikhabad, here on Wednesday.

The chief secretary said the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority didn’t include in its reconstruction strategy 540 schools destroyed by the 2005 earthquake in Hazara division.

Chief secretary hopes reconstruction will be completed in six months

Mr Niaz, who also inspected work on other schools here, said his visit was meant to check the quality and pace of reconstruction.

He said the school buildings would be resistant to high-magnitude earthquakes and would help further the cause of formal education.

The chief secretary said inclement weather could hamper work on schools in snowbound areas of Mansehra district, he was optimistic that the Supreme Court deadline would be met.

Accompanied by Hazara commissioner Mutahir Zeb, DIG of Hazara police Mirvais Niaz, deputy commissioner of Mansehra Dr Qasim Ali Khan and district police officer Sajjad Khan, he also spoke to teachers and students and asked them about the course and facilities.

PROTEST: The opposition Awami National Party on Wednesday held programmes and rallies against high inflation and unemployment in the country.

The party activists took out a rally and staged a sit-in, and demanded of the government to control the prices of essential commodities.

They also organised a protest camp in Judbah area of Torghar district and urged the rulers to step down.

ANP district president Zahid Khan, general secretary Mohammad Asghar Khan and tehsil president Said Towab Shah said the government had failed to address the people’s basic issues.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan inaugurated a computer facility at the settlement office of the revenue department here on Wednesday to digitise records.

He said the initiative would ensure the people’s access to records and early resolution of the land-related complaints.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021