By Fazal Amin Shinwari
LANDI KOTAL: Malik Abdul Razzaq Afridi, a member of the Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC), has pledged to prioritize resolving water shortages in Shalman, improve healthcare services at the Landi Kotal District Headquarters Hospital, and push for the construction of bridges along the Pak-Afghan Highway.
He committed during a consultative meeting at his hujra, attended by tribal elders and residents from the Shalmani, Afridi, and Shinwari tribes of Landi Kotal tehsil.
Afridi said the Shalman water supply scheme would be given priority to address the severe shortage of drinking water faced by the Shinwari tribe. He said some work had already been carried out on the project and pledged to make efforts to resume and expedite its completion.
Expressing concern over the performance of the District Headquarters Hospital, he urged doctors to discharge their duties with honesty and dedication and ensure proper treatment of patients. He said efforts would be made to discourage unnecessary referrals of patients suffering from minor ailments to hospitals in Peshawar.
He also stressed that doctors must take responsibility for their professional duties instead of leaving all matters to the medical superintendent.
Regarding the construction of bridges along the Pak-Afghan Highway, Afridi said even light rainfall often triggered flash floods, disrupting traffic for several hours and causing hardships for passengers, traders and transporters.
He said the issue would be taken up with the relevant authorities and forums to ensure the construction of bridges at vulnerable points. He added that sites had previously been identified for the projects, but work had failed to make progress.
Afridi said development priorities and public welfare initiatives would be pursued in consultation with tribal elders and residents. He thanked representatives of the three tribes for attending the meeting and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the area’s longstanding civic issues through collective efforts.
