The programme is designed to directly benefit at least 40,000 households in KP. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: A foreign-funded programme aims at bridging the trust deficit between the state and people and reduce social injustice in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and tribal areas.
‘Aitebar’, a 30-million-pound sterling ‘peace-building’ project aims to tap into unheeded territory by working closely with the government for enhancing public responsiveness.
The programme is designed to directly benefit at least 40,000 households in KP and FATA and will be completed by 2016.
The overall goal of the programme, designed after the 2010 crisis, need assessment by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the European Union (EU) and the UN in collaboration with the K-P government and FATA Secretariat, is to facilitate the region’s environment for successfully achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The programme will work with police and prosecutors in three model units — one in Peshawar, two in Buner and DI Khan — for four years to provide legal assistance to the residents of these areas.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Lieutenant-General (retd) Nadeem Ahmed, an adviser for the programme, explained that after a thorough need assessment, DFID decided to reduce social injustice in the region.
“In an area where accessibility is very low, it will be challenging to make men and women adapt to the culture of being responsible and trusting the state for redressing their grievances,” he said.
Asma Farooq, the programme’s communication consultant, however, stresses on transparency and the culture of accountability, which she considers essential and needs to be strengthened.
“Let people explain their own problems and let the state address them responsibly” stressed Ahmed, the former chief of the National Disaster Management Authority.
He also said that a complaint cell will be established where people’s problems can be classified on a priority basis for swift response from the government. The programme aims to reach out to the larger public by involving madrassas and local jirgas as well.
For informal complaints, the jirga system is still very effective and should be strengthened, he said, adding that this way the courts will also have more time on their hands and the quality of justice will improve. “It’s a process and a culture change, the impact will be visible after some time” he commented.
Team leader Muhammad Sarwar Khan said there is lack of trust between the citizens and state. We need to build trust and focus primarily on good governance and communication whereas the capacity building of the state, media and civil society needs to be enhanced, he further said. The project also involved strengthening the office of the provincial ombudsman as a robust avenue for redressing public grievances.
Khan said the cooperation of the new provincial government as well as FATA authorities is crucial for the programme to succeed.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2013.
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