Highways Unsafe and Corruption in Development Projects; Machinery Has Completely Failed; Education and Health Systems Paralysed and Discrimination Against Pashtuns at Its Peak: Pishin Jirga
PISHIN (Daily Qudrat Quetta): In continuation of the three-day jirga of the Pashtun nation and people of Southern Pashtunkhwa Quetta, consultative jirgas are being held in all districts. In this connection, a dignified consultative jirga of Pishin district was held the other day under the chairmanship of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party central secretary Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai. The consultative jirga elected its working jirga, and the Pishin district working jirga will appoint its head and will also strive to resolve the problems faced by the people in Pishin district. The jirga gave Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai full authority for further appointments.
Addressing the jirga, the party’s central secretary Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai, central general secretary Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, district president Umar Khan Tareen, Anwar Khan Tareen, Sanaullah Tareen and other dignitaries of the jirga presented proposals on the overall problems faced and their solutions. They said that the most important issue in Pashtunkhwa homeland at present is law and order; all highways, both when leaving the province and within the province, have become unsafe for travel under government patronage, and police stations have been handed over to outsiders. In addition, theft, robbery and dacoity have become common, and the people do not have the protection of their lives and property. Government machinery is facing failure in law and order and all other sectors and departments. Social service departments, education and health, are as good as non-functional in remote areas. No amount has been allocated in the provincial budget for water storage on the province’s average annual 1.20 million acres. After the 26th and 27th so-called constitutional amendments, the wings of the judiciary and media’s freedom have been clipped, and in our homeland the judicial system for officially resolving people’s mutual disputes and cases of murder and violence is as good as non-existent, and we will have to get decisions through jirgas for ending these disputes and enmities and for reconciliation and settlements, for which, in consultation with you, I will appoint Pashtun white-bearded and respected elders and begin finding solutions to disputes.
They said that discrimination against Pashtuns in the province, neglect of Pashtuns’ trade, commerce and employment and of Pashtun areas in the provincial budget, and corruption in development works have been identified by national and international audit institutions at more than 52 percent. The jirga will keep an eye on those looting the people’s treasury and on development schemes in every district, and will hold accountable those officially appointed who engage in looting.
They said that the jirga will talk at the provincial level with the administration on the problems facing them, on establishing peace on law and order and especially on international, inter-provincial and inter-district highways, on ongoing corruption in all departments and on the closure of trade on the Durand Line for 130 years, and on restoring employment and government and private sector in Pashtunkhwa homeland.
They said that we will very soon complete the holding of consultative jirgas in all districts of Southern Pashtunkhwa so that a joint course of action is determined for resolving the problems faced across Southern Pashtunkhwa and ending incidents and instability, and for ending the ongoing instability, terrorism, chaos, mismanagement and looting in the province and the discriminatory attitude toward Pashtuns, and a joint protest path is adopted on it.
