Ninety-seven young men who were captured by the army during the Taliban insurgency in Swat were released from Mashal Rehabilitation Centre on Monday.
During a ceremony held for their release, the rehabilitated youth took oath that they would never support any terrorist organisation and would prove to be useful and law-abiding citizens of the country.
The youth were provided basic computer training as well as courses on various crafts. They were among those who were not significantly involved in the Taliban insurgency of Swat and were sent to Mashal for their rehabilitation.
The chief guest, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Science and Technology Ayub Asharey, distributed awards and prizes among those who secured distinctions in various trainings. “Peace has been restored in Swat and we invite tourists from the entire world to come and enjoy the breathtaking scenes of the valley,” the minister said.
He lauded the role of the army in rehabilitating and reconstructing the war-torn valley.
A total of 1,135 militancy-affected youth have been rehabilitated and released from Mashal so far.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2012.
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