F.P. Report
LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami has announced to launch ‘Tehreek Huquq i Malakand’ from holding a massive public rally at Chakadara on July 29. The announcement was made by the JI provincial deputy chief and former provincial senior minister Inayatullah Khan while speaking at a crowded press conference at Timergara. He said that party workers and general public from all districts of Malakand would participate in the JI protest rally. The JI former MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former MPAs Saeed Gul, Izazul Mulk Afkari, JI tehsil chief Malik Sher Bahadar and other party activists were also in attendance.
Inayatullah Khan said that the former states of Dir, Swat and Chitral were merged into Pakistan after a deal that the people would pay no taxes to the government for 100 years. He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement had now declared the region as a tax-free zone only for one more year that was a mockery with the locals. The JI leader said that Malakand was the largest administrative division in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so the government should bifurcate it into two divisions.
He said the Malakand division had been the worst affected region of the natural and man-made disasters during the last two decades. The former lawmaker said that despite a huge loss, none of the successive governments gave attention to the backwardness of the region.
He alleged the people of Malakand were kept deprived of their basic rights for which the JI had planned to launch a movement with the name of ‘Tehreek Huquq e Malakand’ from July 29. The JI leader invited people from all walks of life, traders, transporters, lawyers, teachers and youths to attend the proposed gathering on the Chakdara bypass road. He said the region was enriched in natural resources like precious minerals, rivers, forests, mountains, fertile soil and scenic spots for tourism development.
He said that locals were the owners of these natural resources but they were deprived of its benefits. He demanded the federal government to declare the region as a tax-free zone for the next ten years. He said the locals had the right to get royalty on forests and hydro power. He demanded the government to provide the people of Malakand with electricity on subsidized rate. He said the JI workers were all set to make the movement a success and would go to any extent in that regard.
TMO takes charge: Iqbal Hasan took over the charge as Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Adenzai here. After assuming the charge, the TMO directed the staff to deliver public services with utmost sincerity and devotion as it was an act of worship. He said the official showing dishonesty was not being respected by the masses. He said that he would play his constructive role to make the TMA a model for others. He assured the staff that all possible efforts would be made to resolve their problems gradually.
JI plans ‘Tehreek Huquq-e-Malakand’ movement
