PESHAWAR, Oct 4: Local body representatives, tribal elders and Maliks have called for withdrawing of a decision to close the office of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and called for continuation of its work.

They were speaking at a jirga held here on Wednesday in the Civil Colony in the Khar area of the Bajaur Agency.

The jirga was attended by notables of the area, Maliks and elected councillors of Bajaur Agency. The NCHD has been working in agency since 2003 but stopped its work temporarily because of last week’s attack on its vehicle, in which a woman staffer was killed.

One of the councillors, Haji Juma Khan, praised NCHD’s performance, saying that its history was filled with successes since 2003.

“The NCHD has achieved tremendous success in enrolment of school children and in preventing the drop-out.

“The health facilities are another key area of NCHD, where mothers and children are facilitated at their door-steps,” said Haji Juma Khan, adding that efforts would be made to ensure the safety of the NCHD office in Bajaur Agency.

Condemning the attack on an NCHD vehicle, Haji Juma Khan said that they condemned terrorism in any form and the attack on NCHD vehicle was a mishap.

“The people of Bajaur Agency are shocked to listen that the NCHD is planning to close their office in Bajaur Agency.”

He said that closing down its operations because of such incidents would encourage terrorists to flourish more easily”, Haji Juma Khan added.

Another tribal elder and Malik of his tribe, Haji Izat Jan said that the closure of NCHD would suffer hundreds of employees, most of whom belong to poor class.

“The closure of NCHD will definitely affect their livelihood. If government-run NCHD is going to stop their interventions on the wake of terrorist attacks, then other NGOs and developmental projects would certainly be stopped said Haji Izat Jan adding that they will support the political administration to provide every kind of security to the NCHD officials.

Later, the jirga through a joint written resolution appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, Minister of State and Chairman NCHD, Dr. Nasim Ashraf, Governor NWFP, Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai, Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan Durrani and Political Agent Bajaur Agency Mohammad Fahim Wazir to mediate the matter and to ensure re-opening of the NCHD office in Bajaur Agency.