LOWER DIR: Residents of Mirgam Bala in Maidan here on Thursday complained that the building of government high school for boys in their area had not been reconstructed despite the passage of 13 years.

Talking to mediapersons, the villagers said the building was blown up by militants in Mirgam Bala in 2009 and the reconstruction work on it was started years ago.

They pointed out that about 450 students from grade 6 to 10 were forced to study under temporary shelters in extreme weather conditions in summer and winter.

A total of 75 government schools of 88 torched by militants in 2009 had been reconstructed by the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority.

JI youth district president Ateequr Rehman said the Mirgam Bala high school was to be built with a cost of Rs40 million. He said that work on the 14-room school building was started, but it could not be completed despite passage of seven years.

About 450 students forced to study in temporary shelters

DEATH ANNIVERSARY: The Department of Pashto, University of Malakand (UoM), arranged a seminar on the first anniversary of eminent poet, writer and journalist Prof Mohammad Islam Armani here the other day.

Faculty members, students, poets from parts of Malakand division and writers attended the function which was presided over by Prof Dr Arab Naz.

On this occasion, poet Rehmat Shah Sail, Pashto Department chairman Prof Ali Khel Daryab and others shed light on the ideas, services and personality of late Islam Armani.

OPEN KUTCHERI: Residents of Upper Dir the other day demanded the local administration to take steps for improving service delivery at the local offices for resolution of their problems.

They complained about staff shortage in the government girls’ college, traffic issues in the local bazaars and drug menace.

They expressed their views during an open kutcheri held at Dir Khas with commissioner, Malakand division, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai in the chair.

The area elders Mohammad Nisar Wardak, Nizamuddin, Masih Khan and others said that no serious steps had been taken to curb use of drugs in the area.

The commissioner on this occasion directed the deputy commissioner to ensure that public issues were resolved on priority by the relevant officers.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2022