LOWER DIR: Frustration is growing among the residents and elders of Talash Valley, who have once again urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to implement its long-overdue decision to grant the area tehsil status.

Despite official announcements and notifications, the administrative status remains stalled for nearly three years.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, community elders expressed deep anger and disappointment over the continued inaction, saying that the delay deprived over 150,000 residents of basic municipal services and administrative convenience.

Talash, a historic and strategically located valley in Lower Dir, was promised tehsil status by the former chief minister, Mahmood Khan. The proposed tehsil includes 20 village councils and four union councils, Noorakhel, Shahikhel, Bandagai, and Dushkhel.

Following this commitment, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa revenue and establishment department had issued an official notification on December 26, 2022, under the Revenue Act of 1967, formally declaring Talash a tehsil. However, the locals say that despite the legal notification, no practical steps have been taken to make the tehsil functional.

“The delay is not just bureaucratic, it’s affecting our daily lives,” said one elder. With no tehsil municipal administration (TMA), the residents have travel to Timergara for legal issues and remain without essential services such as waste management, drainage, encroachment control, and other urban facilities.

Area jirgas and consultative bodies have now appealed directly to Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, and urged him to act swiftly on the existing notification and ensure the tehsil becomes operational.

“The government must honor its commitment,” a local council member said. “This is not just about administrative status, it’s about dignity, development, and service delivery for the people of Talash,” he added.

RELIGIOUS SEMINARIES: Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Abdul Hameed has expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the tragic incident in Swat, calling for exemplary punishment for the perpetrator, while cautioning against blanket condemnation of religious institutions.

“The one who lacks knowledge of the Quran and Hadith is not a scholar but an ignorant person,” Maulana Abdul Hameed remarked, while addressing a gathering at Samarbagh here the other day.

He expressed grave anger over the brutal killing of a student and demanded that the perpetrator be publicly hanged to serve as a warning to others. “Not every seminary harbors such inhumane individuals,” he clarified, “and it is unfair to malign all religious institutions because of one incident.”

He urged all seminaries’ teachers to treat children with kindness, compassion, and in accordance with the Quranic principles. “We have always preached brotherhood, love, and unity, not hatred,” he reminded the audience.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2025