Jirga speakers discuss rising militancy in Swat
Speakers at a jirga held in Swat on Saturday discussed the reasons behind the rise in militancy in Swat valley.
PESHAWAR:
Speakers at a jirga held in Swat on Saturday discussed the reasons behind the rise in militancy in Swat valley.
The jirga, called ‘Swat, yesterday and today’, was jointly arranged by Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (IBT) and Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Kalam valley, where locals had fought the Taliban and forced them to recede from the area.
The speakers concluded that poverty, ignorance, bad governance, a lack of justice and the widening gap between the haves and have-nots were the basic causes of increasing militancy in Swat.
The jirga was attended by around 120 participants, who belonged from different parts of Swat and the chief guest was member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from Swat Sayyed Jafar Shah.
Speakers said that quality education was the key to achieving durable peace in the valley. They demanded that the civil administration step in and begin reconstruction and development work in the war-stricken valley.
Shah reiterated the promises made by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti during his visit to Kalam on July 15. He said that a road will be constructed from Baghdheri to Kalam and link roads to tourist destination in Swat and Kohistan will also be constructed.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2010.
Speakers at a jirga held in Swat on Saturday discussed the reasons behind the rise in militancy in Swat valley.
The jirga, called ‘Swat, yesterday and today’, was jointly arranged by Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (IBT) and Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Kalam valley, where locals had fought the Taliban and forced them to recede from the area.
The speakers concluded that poverty, ignorance, bad governance, a lack of justice and the widening gap between the haves and have-nots were the basic causes of increasing militancy in Swat.
The jirga was attended by around 120 participants, who belonged from different parts of Swat and the chief guest was member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from Swat Sayyed Jafar Shah.
Speakers said that quality education was the key to achieving durable peace in the valley. They demanded that the civil administration step in and begin reconstruction and development work in the war-stricken valley.
Shah reiterated the promises made by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti during his visit to Kalam on July 15. He said that a road will be constructed from Baghdheri to Kalam and link roads to tourist destination in Swat and Kohistan will also be constructed.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2010.