Hazara leaders seek action on public issues

The Hazara Action Committee (HAC) has convened an All-Parties Conference (APC) on July 24 to discuss a range of issues affecting the Hazara region, including delays to the provincial government's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP), alleged irregularities at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC), the quality of work on Thandiani Road, recruitment in the Hazara Electric Supply Company (Hazeco), and prolonged electricity load-shedding.

Addressing a press conference at a local hall on Wednesday, HAC Patron-in-Chief Amjad Khan, Chairman Naseer Khan Jadoon and spokesperson Advocate Muhammad Ishaq Zakria expressed concern over what they described as the provincial and federal authorities' failure to address longstanding public grievances.

The committee announced that invitations were being extended to elected representatives, political leaders and office-bearers of all political and regional parties to participate in the conference. The organisers said that if the APC failed to produce a viable course of action, the committee would formulate its own strategy to pursue the issues.

Presenting the committee's assessment of regional challenges, Advocate Zakria alleged that the public was being deprived of the full benefits of Ayub Medical Complex despite the hospital employing around 4,000 staff and possessing equipment worth billions of rupees. He further claimed that the administration was spending substantial amounts on what he described as cosmetic initiatives while neglecting pressing operational issues.

He also criticised the composition of the hospital's Board of Governors, alleging that it did not include a single representative from the Hazara region, which, he argued, had contributed to the failure to resolve local concerns.

Commenting on the reconstruction of Thandiani Road, he alleged that outdated construction practices had resulted in poor-quality work despite the project's estimated cost increasing from Rs3 billion to Rs9 billion.

He further claimed that the solid waste management project under the KP-CIP, which was launched in 2021 and scheduled for completion in 2026, had yet to commence.

According to the committee, delays in implementing the project have resulted in penalty charges being imposed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the associated loan, with the financial burden ultimately expected to fall on the public.

The committee also questioned the transparency of a drinking water supply scheme from Jandar Bari, raising concerns over the project's specifications and implementation.

Chairman Naseer Khan Jadoon called for the public release of the recruitment agreement for Hazeco, alleging that qualified local youth were being overlooked for employment opportunities. He claimed that senior officials from Punjab had been appointed to key positions after receiving additional promotions, despite the availability of suitably qualified professionals from the Hazara region.

He also urged the government to establish a tertiary-level hospital in Battagram, address electricity shortages in Kohistan and upgrade the trauma centre in Haripur with modern medical facilities. He appealed to the region's political leadership to focus on these public welfare issues alongside infrastructure development.

Jadoon also demanded a reduction in electricity load-shedding in Abbottabad and Havelian.