ISLAMABAD, July 2: Chief of Kochi tribes of Afghanistan Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai has appealed to the educated Afghan youths settled in Pakistan to return to their homeland for participating in its reconstruction and development.

“Afghanistan is fast returning to normalcy, offering vast economic opportunities particularly to the educated and skilled youth,” Chief of 600,000-strong Kochi community and Ahmadzai tribes told Dawn.

A survey conducted in the Logar province reveals that 36 schools have been reopened during the last few months, Mr Ghani said, giving an example how people of Afghanistan have engaged themselves in the reconstruction work.

In a short period of a few months over 360 foreign companies had set up their offices in Kabul and other parts of the country and the figure was soon expected to reach 4000, Mr Ghani added.

The 20-year-old civil war in the country had destroyed all infrastructures but the people are so anxious and serious about reconstruction of their country that a number of private houses have been converted into hospitals. Where no private property is available pre-fabricated structure have been set up for providing medical and education services to the people.

Mr Ghani lamented that the current situation in Afghanistan is not properly projected in the international media particularly in the local Pakistan media.

“Reports of violence and killings are always prominently published but the work going on for the reconstruction and development is not being highlighted,” he added.

Some educated youth from Europe, the United States and Iran have returned to Afghanistan but the response from those reared and grown up in Pakistan was very poor, he added.

“The Afghan youths grown up and educated in Pakistan do not know much about their country,” he said, stressing that they should be apprised of how badly their country needed them.

Referring to the recent Loya Jirga convened for the election of a new government, he said in this gathering of over 1500 Afghan leaders vied for assuming a new role in a changed situation.

“The warlords have realised that these are different times and they are adjusting to the changed realities,” he added.