PESHAWAR, July 10: A potable water supply project completed with the financial assistance of Japan was inaugurated here at Shah Kas area of Khyber Agency on Tuesday.

More than 6,000 people of Shah Kas living in more than 960 households will benefit from the facility, said Fazal Karim Khan Afridi, the honorary consul-general of Japan here while talking to journalists on the occasion.

Seiji Kojima, Japan’s ambassador to Pakistan, was expected to inaugurate the facility, but he could not make it due to the law and order situation in the capital, Mr Afridi said.

Five projects have been completed with the financial assistance of Japanese government in collaboration with a local NGO, Learning Awareness Motivation Programme (Lamp). The projects covered health, education and communication sectors in Khyber Agency.

Under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects work was started on the projects in February with a grant of $66,784 to Lamp.

The projects — two schools and three drinking water supply schemes--were completed.

One school project and a drinking water scheme were completed in the Sur Qamar area.

The projects were completed at Malakabad Ghudai in Khyber Agency.

Mr Afridi said that most of the tribal areas were backward and opening schools for girls there was a challenge but added that gradually a social change was taking place there.

He pointed out that the issue of security was a cause of concern for the NGOs working in the area.

He urged the government to make ensure a durable peace in Fata so that development works could be initiated in those areas.