Nasib Shah Shinwari
LANDIKOTAL: A significant region of FATA both strategically and historically and close to the border of Afghanistan with a population of some 0.5 million people grabbed by numerous problems of drinking water, non-availability of electricity, lack of health, education facilities, and suspension of 3-G internet service in this modern era of media development and information technology.
A couple of days before when the interior minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Muhammad Nisar visited Landikotal was asked by the local media men about the suspension of 3-G internet service in the area, he replied and said due to some security reasons the service had been stopped but the locals and educated persons in the region say it was injustice with the people to suspend 3-G net in the region.
Amir Afridi, a social activist and the president of the Khyber youth forum said that it was the right of every citizen to rise their voice through print, electronic and social media. He said the ban on the 3-G net in Landikotal and other localities of the FATA was meant to press the voice of the people which was an injustice to the people.
A local journalist and former president of the Landikotal press club Akmal Khan Qadri says the journalists’ community of Landikotal has a big issue with the press club because they have been accommodating at a private and hired building in Landikotal Bazar where they perform their journalistic work daily.
When questioned by this scribe about why the press club construction was delaying, Akmal Khan Qadri said that the FATA secretariat and the political administration of Khyber Agency were the main hurdles and the officials of these two departments don’t want to construct the Press club in Landikotal.
“Press clubs in Mohmand Agency, Bajour Agency including Bara and Jamrud subdivisions of Khyber Agency have been constructed,” Qadri said adding that journalists of the important point of Pakistan and FATA have still the issue of press club and they have difficulties carrying out their professional work at a private building in Landikotal.
Akmal Khan Qadri demanded the governor of KPK take serious notice of the issue and fulfill his promises by launching construction work on Landikotal press club.
Akmal Khan Qadri said that the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa made many promises to build a press club for Landikotal-based journalists but unfortunately his promises have not been fulfilled.
The Jamat-e-Islami Landikotal ameer, Murad Hussain Afridi says Landikotal’s people face a lack of health facilities, non-availability of electricity, education issues, and shortage of drinking water. He said during many table talks with the concerned officials of Landikotal, they have discussed these issues demanding the officials resolve the issues..
When asked about the government’s claims that billions of rupees were spent on the development and rehabilitation projects in FATA and Landikotal, Murad Hussain Afridi said there was nothing on the ground and the people of FATA including Landikotal were disappointed. He said it was totally false claim and that the officials were only concentrating to increase their bank balances through embezzlement in the development projects.
Murad Hussain Afridi said Landikotal’s people and the shopkeepers at the Bazar were facing a serious issue with electricity and the Tribal electric supply Co(TESC) has cut off the electricity of Landikotal Bazar. The political administration and TESCO officials should immediately resolve this problem because owing to the power break off the shopkeeper’s daily business activities have been suffering for a long period.
“Agency headquarter Hospital (AHQ) of Landikotal has vacancies of specialist doctors and the schools in Landikotal also need some science teachers to be appointed” Afridi stated adding that Jamat-e-Islami leaders have discussed these issues with the concerned authorities.
He criticized the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the MNA Shaji Gul Afridi for not taking interest in appointing specialist doctors at the AHQ hospital of Landikotal and demanded the governor that takes serious notice of the issue.
The JI Landikotal ameer also said food material which was supplied to the AHQ Landikotal hospital for distribution among expecting women was also selling in the open market which was an injustice to the poor masses of Landikotal.
Drawing the attention of the director general of the National database and registration authority (NADRA), Murad Hussain Afridi said the inhuman behavior of Landikotal NADRA staff with local applicants and their delaying tactics to process the applications for Computerized National identity card(CNIC), the people’s miseries have been doubled which need the attention of authorities.
Murad Hussain Afridi some people in Landikotal have incorrectly given their wrong age in qualification documents or in their CNIC and they have trouble while getting the “Court degree” from the assistant political agent and the NADRA staff was not accepting their applications without court degree. He demanded the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to issue an order to the political administration Landikotal to facilitate and approve the applications of locals for a “Court degree” as the NADRA staff was rejecting their application to modify their ages in the already issued CNIC without a valid court degree.
JI ameer also criticized the political agent(PA) of the Khyber agency and the MNA of NA-45 for taking credit of the Landi-Khana water supply scheme which has already been inaugurated by the governor but the construction work has not been launched on the project. He demanded the authorities allocate funds for the project and start construction work on the water scheme as most of the areas in Landi Kotal have a shortage of drinking water.
Abdul Wahid Afridi, the representative of the parliamentary leader of FATA Shaji Gul Afridi while sharing the completed and ongoing development projects in Landikotal said that Rs.30 million have been spent on the rehabilitation of Sheikhmal Khel and Mukhtar Khel road and a road project in Niki Khel area of Landikotal with the estimated cost of Rs.30 million is in progress.
A written document provided by the representative of the MNA Shaji Gul Afridi shows that some Rs.120 million have been spent on various drinking water projects in various locations of Landikotal, including Pero Khel, Sheikhmal Khel, Loey Shelman, Kam Shelman, Ghani Khel, Ash Khel, Bai Khel, and Bazar Zakha Khel.
Abdul Wahid Afridi said that some Rs.500 million budget has been allocated and approved for a type “D” hospital in the Bazar Zakha Khel area of Landikotal, a remote area of the Landikotal subdivision.
He said that some Rs.32 million funds have been allocated for a sports ground which would be revised to construct a sports complex near the Hamza Baba complex.
Abdul Wahid Afridi said some Rs.30 million has been disbursed on the construction of protection walls at various villages of Landikotal.
