By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
KHYBER: Khyber political alliance on Monday organized a public jirga in Landikotal and raised voice over the bad governance and deteriorating health and education situation.
A large number of political and social leaders, tribal elders, local government representatives and people from various walks of life attended.
The jirga focused on the pressing issues faced by the tehsil of Landikotal and explored possible long-term solutions.
Speakers said that the problems of Landikotal had reached an alarming level, warning that prolonged neglect was pushing the area towards a deeper social and economic crisis. They said the extended closure of the Pak-Afghan Torkham border had badly affected the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people, resulting in rising poverty, anxiety and social unrest in the region.
Expressing serious concern over the deteriorating condition of the District Headquarters hospital in Landikotal, the speakers said the facility lacked basic medical services, forcing even minor patients to be referred to Peshawar.
They noted that effective treatment was largely limited to cough, flu and fever, calling it a grave injustice to the local population.
Highlighting the education crisis, the speakers said severe shortages of teachers and basic facilities had compelled students to sit on mats in classrooms, which they described as unacceptable in the modern era. They warned that failure to immediately address these issues could push the younger generation towards negative activities, with far-reaching consequences for society.
The jirga also expressed grave concern over the acute shortage of clean drinking water. Speakers said residents across the tehsil were facing severe water scarcity, forcing women to fetch water from distant locations by carrying it on their heads, a practice they termed degrading to human dignity. They demanded the immediate implementation of water supply projects.
The speakers stressed that development schemes should be initiated on a collective rather than individual basis to ensure equal benefits for the wider population and sustainable regional development.
Addressing the jirga were Khyber political alliance president Murad Hussain Afridi, Malik Darya Khan Afridi, Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid Shinwari, Haji Zarbullah, Shakir Afridi, Maulana Azeem Shah, president of the teachers’ union Sharifullah Afridi, Maroof Khan Afridi, Akhtar Ali, Sattar Afghan, Farman Shinwari and others.
The jirga also strongly criticized alleged mismanagement in the Benazir Income Support Programme and Ehsaas Programme, demanding transparency and timely, uninterrupted assistance for deserving beneficiaries.
