South Waziristan: Mehsuds to raise funds for schooling the displaced

ISLAMABAD:

Tribesmen belonging to the Mehsud tribe formed a body on Monday to raise funds for the education of students suffering in the wake of a military operation in South Waziristan Agency. 

Following a three-year-long operation in the embattled South Waziristan Agency, Mehsud tribesmen from all walks of life have agreed to establish a fund-raising body to avoid interruption in the education of thousands of displaced youth of their community.

Over 100 tribesmen including serving, retired officials, university students and journalists attended the meeting which agreed that the newly formed body would be known as Mehsud Education Organisation.

During the course of the meeting, consensus was reached among the participants that the fund-raising body would formally request the federal and provincial government, the political administration, NGOs and well-off Mehsud tribesmen to contribute for a better tomorrow for their children.

Initially, a six-member body was formed, including retired officers and university students to work out a plan and date for a gathering in Peshawar to invite academics, educationists, analysts, students, businessmen, NGOs and government officials to materialise and implement the much-needed programme.

The purpose of the Mehsud Education Organisation is to provide financial assistance to displaced students with better educational opportunities in the country’s leading educational institutions as the military operation in South Waziristan continues to hamper the education of most students in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2011.