By Fazal Amin Shinwari
BARRA: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi visited Bara tehsil in Khyber district on Thursday and distributed relief packages to 500 people displaced from Tirah Valley, assuring them of continued support for rehabilitation and resettlement.
Afridi, accompanied by officials and tribal elders, met representatives of the affected population and expressed solidarity with families who had been forced to leave their homes.
Bara Rifles Commandant Aamir Tauseef attended the gathering, along with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Relief) Khyber Irshad Mohmand, Additional Assistant Commissioner Bara Amanullah, DSP Malik Akbar Afridi and members of the 24-member Tirah Valley committee, including Maulana Hazrat Khan, Kamaluddin and Akbar Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, Afridi acknowledged the sacrifices made by the people of Tirah Valley in the fight against terrorism, saying their contributions and hardships should not be overlooked.
He said the Shahid Afridi Foundation would extend all possible assistance to the displaced families to help alleviate their difficulties and address their immediate needs.
Afridi also called upon the federal and provincial governments to announce special relief measures for the affected population and ensure the provision of essential services, particularly healthcare, education, clean drinking water and road infrastructure.
Emphasizing the need for adequate arrangements before the return of displaced families, he said hospitals, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) centres, and educational institutions should be made functional to ensure that residents did not face difficulties in accessing basic services after returning to their homes.
