PRCS yet to secure headquarters in FATA

Officials say governor house has written to Khyber Agency administration for land

PESHAWAR: Even though an organisation providing emergency medical and relief services has been working in the tribal areas for over a decade, it has yet to get its own headquarters in the region to coordinate efforts.

Over the past 11 years of working on mine risk, responding to displaced people and humanitarian assistance in sectarian and disaster hit-areas, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has managed to set up branches in five of the seven agencies of the tribal areas. These include one each in Bajaur, Mohmand, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Kurram.

However, it has smaller, ‘first-aid offices’ spread across all the seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions.

Officials at PRCS’ Fata offices say that discussions on setting up a headquarters in the tribal areas had been discussed, however, there were certain issues which need to be resolved and that this was only possible if the governor house intervened.

“We had been planning for a while to build our headquarters in Peshawar, Jamrud or Darra Adamkhel, however, we need state land which we do not have as yet,” a PRCS Fata official told The Express Tribune.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous since he was not entitled to speak to media, stated that there were no issues with constructing the headquarters building since donor agencies were ready to facilitate them financially as long as they managed to get their own land.

He added that the governor house had written to the Khyber Agency administration but things were not quite clear. The official further stated that donors could donate land while the governor house could also allocate state land but the move is taking time.

“The authorities must understand that the society has a dire need to set up the headquarters,” the official said.

The official further stated that they have a host of other issues such as security constraints.

“Many donor agencies do not have access to the tribal areas and since areas such as Jamrud and Darra Adam Khel, which fall within the tribal belt,” he said, adding that there might be issues with having the PRCS Fata’s headquarters in the tribal areas.

PRCS Secretary Syed Kamal Mehsood confirmed the developments.

“Yes, Darra Adamkhel, Jamrud and Peshawar are being considered [as a potential location for a headquarters], and in fact, the governor house has also communicated to the Khyber Agency administration,” Mehsood told The Express Tribune.

He added that the PRCS has been extending support in all the agencies and frontier regions with its focus on the internally displaced people, apart from educating the tribesmen on mines.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2018.