Governor criticises lack of development work in merged districts

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said that the promises made to the people of the tribal districts before the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had not been fulfilled, and no attention had been paid to development works in the merged districts.

He said protecting the resources and rights of the province was essential and that regional and provincial development could be ensured by utilizing resources effectively. Unfortunately, he said, the province has yet to receive its share of water, adding that if proper attention had been paid to provincial water resources, lands would not have become barren, including in Wana.

He further said the All Parties Conference had brought together the entire political leadership under one roof to discuss the resources and rights of the province and that local public leadership must play an effective role in regional development.

He was addressing a scholarship distribution ceremony organized by the Wana Welfare Association (WAWA) at the Governor's House in Peshawar on Saturday.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of tribal elders as well as WAWA President Rehmatullah Wazir, Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsud, Hazara Commissioner Mehmood Aslam Wazir, Gilgit-Baltistan Inspector-General of Police Muhammad Saeed Wazir, and Maulana Muhammad Idrees of the Uma Welfare Academy.

In his inaugural address, Rahmatullah Wazir thanked the Governor for organizing the ceremony at the Governor's House and provided information about the regional and social services of the association. He also made some demands of the Governor including the opening of schools in Wana, ensuring teacher attendance, and the handover of over ten schools to WAWA as a pilot project.

He also shed light on the problem of groundwater in Wana and suggested building small dams, declaring Angor Adda a transit trade highway, and improving the Tank-Wana Road.

He also demanded that the Government College be moved from Wana and that two buses be arranged for students coming from far-flung areas.