Pakistan

Army working towards development of S Waziristan

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

July 08, 2010

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.

COMMENTS (6)

Muhammad Ahsan Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Organized Groups In any country the state affair is run by many organized groups like, Army, Police, Education, Health, Judiciary, Trade and many others. Each group works in its domain in harmony with other groups and without any direct interference. If a single group takes the control over all the other groups. It becomes a dictatorship. A strong Mafia (or drug-traffic), the best organized group, practically runs the state affair in parts of South of Italy. Here the rich and bandits are safe and protected by Mafia. The ordinary citizens become the collateral victims.

Samandar Khan | 14 years ago | Reply It seems that the army is the only institution that is actually working for Pakistan. May Allah bless the soldiers of this country. To the critics of the army above: If the army stays on the borders defending Pakistan from the threats created by the civilian governments to keep the people under false threat, then it will only leave our honest, hard working, non fake degree holding, empathetic civilian government to take care of the people of South Waziristan, as they have been doing for the rest of the country. So be grateful and give credit where it's due. Peace out Samandar

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F Alam | 14 years ago | Reply I'm glad that the army is doing something more than its usual fighting duties. Since Army is real force in our country, may I request the COAS to do something for our wretched film industry too as it is at quite an embarrassing position! We overseas Pakistanis find it hard to suggest any good Pakistani film to our neighbours. If Army supports just one good film a year, in a few years we will have a respectable catalogue to be proud of!

Muhammad Ahsan Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Is it going to be like Swat? It is an appropriate question. For last 60 years, there had been many interventions of Pakistan Army which always ended in a fiasco and never brought peace or any development. The social development, mango export, making a bomb or running the state is not the job of an Army. Their job is to defend the country from an external enemy. If they stick to their simple job, there will be less disorder and more peace.

Syed A. Mateen | 14 years ago | Reply I have full faith and confidence in our army that whatever our army will do, it will be done in the best interest of the affected areas as well as for people of Pakistan.

mussarat ahmedzeb swat | 14 years ago | Reply Is it going to be like Swat?(DEVELOPMENT)

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