BAJAUR: The residents of different hilly localities of Salarzai tehsil here have complained about lack of a link road, a school and a health centre.

Talking to Dawn on Sunday, the people of Kafar Gut, Qadam Cheena, Giro and Tango areas, which are located on the Bajaur’s border with Lower Dir district, regretted that there was no school, either for girls or boys, for a population of over 30,000 people in this modern era.

“These localities are the most backward in Bajaur district,” Tahir Khan Salarzai, a resident of Kafar Gut, deplored. He said the villagers were still living in Stone Age as they were without facilities of road, health, education, electricity and water supply. “The four villages have been deprived of any development.”

Daulat Khan, a resident of Qadam Cheena, told Dawn that construction of a link road from Pashat area, establishment of primary schools for boys and girls, solar-powered drinking water schemes, a basic health unit and provision of electricity had been the longstanding demands of the villagers.

“The villagers submitted numerous applications with the office of the deputy commissioner and other senior officials of the district administration, requesting them to address their issues, but to no avail,” Daulat Khan regretted.

The villagers also flayed the local lawmakers for not meeting their election promises. They said PTI MNA Gul Zafar Khan and provincial minister Anwarzeb Khan promised construction of Pashat-Kafar Gut Road, establishing two primary schools and a health unit during their election campaigns, but to no effect.

The villagers, however, said a private school was being run by a group of youth on self-help basis, but it had no building.

They asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to order the authorities concerned to provide basic facilities of life to the four villages without delay.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2022