Cadet college: Jirga says college must be shifted to North Waziristan

MIRANSHAH:

Tribal elders in Razmak have demanded that the area’s cadet college be moved back to its old building in North Waziristan.

The demand was made at a jirga between tribesmen, officials from the political administration and the military at Razmak Scouts Camp on Monday.

Tribal elder Malik Abdul Rahim said the cadet college should be shifted back to its former building since it was the only college in the agency. It was unfortunately shifted to Nowshera despite protests from the tribals, he added. “We want it back at every cost.”

Malik Mada Noor told officials that the matter was discussed with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor during a grand Jirga held in Peshawar. We will raise the issue on every forum, Noor said.

North Waziristan Political Agent Siraj Ahmad Khan assured tribesmen that all issues will be addressed and the government is making every effort to solve their problems. Everything can be resolved through joint cooperation between all stakeholders, he said.

The cadet college was closed in June 2009 owing to security concerns in North Waziristan and 438 cadets were evacuated.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2013.