TIMERGARA, June 1: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) arranged a business development event at a local hotel here the other day where participants stressed the need for organising a cattle fair.
Noted among participants were district director (agriculture) Ubaidullah, Tehsil Municipal Administration chief officer Pervez Akhtar, veterinary officer (livestock department) Dr Akbar Ali Khan, local livestock sellers and buyers, Smeda district coordinator of Lower Dir Adnan Afridi and others attended the event whose theme was to strengthen linkages between buyers and sellers, and discuss establishment of a local livestock mela (cattle fair) on a weekly or monthly basis.
They jointly decided that more such meetings should be organised for livestock promotion in the area.
On the occasion, a deal between one buyer from outside the union council and a seller from the UC was brokered in which the buyer shall be provided with 13 cattle and 20 sheep monthly by sellers from within the Timergara union council.
“It is aimed at building linkages between buyers and sellers of the district,” Smeda coordinator Adnan Afridi told Dawn. He said it was a great achievement of Smeda to facilitate such a deal and thus, paving the way for organising a cattle fair in Timergara.
“Smeda under the industries ministry and in collaboration with the UNDP has launched its ‘Early Recovery Project’ in Dir since September 2011 to reinvigorate and stimulate the flood-affected businesses and livelihood activities,” he said, adding that locals were fully cooperating with the authority.
Meanwhile, a one-day Pashto seminar on Malik Ahmad Baba was held at the convocation hall that was arranged by the Pashto department of the University of Malakand on Thursday. Vice chancellor Professor Dr Rasool Jan was in the chair.
Assistant Professor Jamil Yousafzai of Government College, Shawa, Swabi, highlighted the life and achievements of Malik Ahmad Baba, who, according to him, was a great Pashtun leader of Yousafzai tribe.
University students, faculty members and professors attended the seminar.
Mohammad Ayub Khan, a member of the Malik Ahmad Baba family from Yar Hussain, Swabi, also spoke on the occasion.
Vice chancellor announced that a Pashto magazine ‘palatana’ (investigation) would be published by the varsity in which Malik Ahmad Baba along with other Pakhtun tribal elders would be given due space in order to educate the young generation about contributions of their elders to development in the region.