Cadet college to be functional in SWA soon: APA

Cadet college to be functional in SWA soon: APA

Saleem Mehsud

TANK, Dec 10 : Assistant Political Agent (APA) South Waziristan Agency (SWA), Hameed Ullah Khan has said that major role in various projects including education, communication, health and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of SWA was of Pakistan Army while political administration was also participating and providing assistance to the armed forces in limited scale.

In an interview, Hameed said that political administration and Pakistan Army in collaboration were utilizing all the available facilities at hand to provide relief and basic facilities to the IDPs of Mehsud tribe. He said that by the joint efforts of armed forces and political administration the IDPs were sent to 30-40 villages of SWA and the IDPs were living peaceful life.

“Two cadet colleges will be constructed in SWA in order to provide better education to the tribesmen,” Hameed said, adding that “Mehsud Cadet College” will be functional in the next few months which will impart quality education to the locals. He said that facilitation card was given to all those returning to SWA through which they will get relief funds being announced for them in order to assist their families.

When quizzed to show role of political administration in SWA’s development and other issues related to security of the area, he said that role of political administration was very limited in every field, saying that political administration was assisting the armed forces to great extent in their effort of establishing peace in SWA and also in developmental projects.

Replying to a question regarding re-construction of the destroyed homes in SWA, the APA said that political administration in collaboration with the UNHCR were giving Rs8,000 to each family and also material of one room to the IDPs, adding that reports about registration of animals were fabricated.

When asked that most of SWA area was not yet opened for locals and tribesmen were waiting for the last three years to enter their hometown, he said that work was underway in some areas without mentioning the nature of work, saying that after completion of work then with the consultation of the Mehsud elders, migration of IDPs will be initiated.

Lauding the role of army in the development of SWA, Hameed said that security forces were focusing on the health, communication and education sectors in SWA’s territory inhabited by the Mehsud tribe in order to bring the deprived tribal area at par with the other parts of the country and also to make it one of the developed areas of the country.

Commenting on the question that armed forces were pushing the IDPs in SWA not to told their officers and other high ups during their visits to SWA about the difficulties being faced by them, Hameed said that armed forces stationed in SWA were extending help and assistance to the locals to the extent what was possible for them.

The APA when asked that some of the IDPs complained that officials concerned at the registration centre were even registering their animals, he replied that it was not true, adding that government was doing registration of boys below the age of 12.

It is pertinent to be mentioned here that some of the IDPs on the condition not to mention their names complained that some of their family members were living in damaged houses in SWA and the government was not giving relief to them. They said that only the non-governmental organizations were providing them rations and some construction material, adding that locals were facing numerous difficulties.

They said that entry into SWA and travelling from SWA towards the settled districts was very time consuming and tough because locals have to go through several army check-points, adding that only those tribesmen who have registration card can make an entry into SWA while the others having Pakistani ID card were not allowed to enter the tribal area.