PESHAWAR: Senator Dost Mohammad Mehsud has claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has agreed to change the name of the newly-established Upper South Waziristan to Mehsud district.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and other quarters concerned for agreeing in principle to the renaming of the district in line with the popular sentiment of the people of the area.

The senator also demanded special development package for the newly-bifurcated district in order to accelerate the pace of development and progress of the militancy-plagued area.

Senator Dost Mohammad proposed proper demarcation of the Mehsud and Wazir areas in line with the demographical, historical, racial realities and sentiments in order to avoid any misgivings that might lead to tribal rivalries in the future. He said that keeping in view these principles, the Gomal valley, parts of Shakai having Mehsud dominance, including Balla Pather and Tayarzia, be included in the newly-divided Mehsud district.

Senator Dost Mohammad asked the provincial government to build a dual highway connecting Mehsud district with Afghanistan via the Shawal valley to promote the cross-border trade for generating viable socioeconomic activities in the area.

The senator also demanded separate National Assembly seats for both the districts of the erstwhile South Waziristan.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2022