Army working towards development of S Waziristan

Pakistan Army has launched scores of developmental projects in South Waziristan Agency.

WANA: Pakistan Army has launched scores of developmental projects under the directives of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani in the militancy-affected South Waziristan Agency for the socio-economic uplift of the tribal people.

In addition to completing scores of multi-purposes projects in South Waziristan by Pakistan army, developmental schemes on various sectors including education, health, communication and water are underway in South Waziristan.

The ISPR on Thursday arranged a detail visit for Peshawar-based journalists who were flown to South Waziristan where they were shown and briefed about the developmental projects completed by army in the agency and ongoing multi-dimensional Gomal Zam dam.

Major Farruk Majeed, Project Officer Frontier Works Organization told journalists that work on a 15km Tank-Wana Road has been completed that would facilitate people of South Waziristan, Tank and DI Khan districts. Construction work on a 108km long Tank-Makeen Road and 101 km Tank-Wana road is also underway.

He said that work on Gomal Zam dam is also underway of which 90 per cent has been completed. The Gomal Zam Dam will boost up hydropower generation in FATA and would protect fertile land from flood and soil erosion besides converting most of barren land into canal-irrigated area that would generate employment opportunities for youth and bolstering income of poor segment of the society, Major Majeed remarked.

Journalists were also shown the under construction Government Girls Degree College Wana. Lt Col Akmal Hussain told the media that 40-explosive packed tunnels that were established by terrorists inside the college, have been cleared and its repair and maintenance work is underway and hopefully will complete by June next year, adding that this project would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs.107million. The building of the college would be earthquake proof and would be constructed on international building standards.

Malik Aman Khan and Malik Allah Yar Khan on behalf of tribal people on this occasion thanked the army chief for initiating a number of projects in South Waziristan and highly appreciated the army's efforts for establishing the girls’ college and the roads projects, which was their decade-old demand.

They said that their girls would get quality education inside of the agency and will not go to other districts for the same. They assured full support to Pak Army in their future endeavours and vowed to fight alongside the military for the defence of the country.

The tribal people condemned US drone attacks and termed it violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. They said drone attacks are counterproductive.