KHAR: Senator Hidayatullah Khan on Wednesday criticised the federal government for ‘ignoring’ tribal areas in development schemes and the federal government hadn’t executed any mega project in any part of Fata during its tenure.

Addressing a public meeting in far-flung area of Shahi Tangi in Mamond tehsil here, the lawmaker claimed that the PML-N government had adopted a discriminatory attitude towards tribal areas in development schemes and had done nothing for the welfare of tribesmen.

He said Fata in general and Bajaur Agency in particular was the most backward region of the country due to lack of basic infrastructure but the government had closed its eyes to it.

Mr Hidayatullah also regretted that no school and health facility had been established in any part of tribal areas since July 2013.

Senator Hidayatullah calls for end to ban on new schools, health centres, and recruitment

“The federal government’s ban on the construction of new schools and health units in tribal areas is a matter of serious concern as it is depriving the poor tribesmen of their basic rights,” he said, adding that the existing educational and health services facilities were insufficient to meet the people’s demands.

The lawmaker said more than 90,000 children of Bajaur Agency had been out of school for several years due to the shortage of educational facilities, while thousands of children were denied admissions to schools every year.

He said there was a need for opening more than 350 new schools in Bajaur Agency to enrol all local children but the government didn’t realise it.

Mr Hidayatullah said the government schools in Bajaur Agency, especially primary ones, faced an acute shortage of teachers as most of them had only one teacher for over 600 students.

He added that the region also had schools, where there was only one teacher for more than 1,200 students.

The lawmaker said Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra had promised him the inclusion of the opening of at least 12 primary schools in Bajaur Agency in the 2017-18 Fata Annual Development Programme but he didn’t keep the promise.

TRADERS TO HOLD ELECTIONS: Rejecting a move by the political administration to stop the election of the Khar Traders’ Association, the traders’ leaders on Tuesday decided to hold voting on Nov 7 as scheduled.

“We reject the administration’s orders to stop traders from electioneering for the office of the president of the Khar Traders’ Association and request the officials to stop creating hurdles to the elections,” leaders of various traders’ associations told a meeting here.

The participants announced that traders across the agency would offer strong resistance if the administration tried to sabotage their Nov 7 elections.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2017