MINGORA Apr 08 :-
The NWFP Minister for Environment and Forests, Wajid Ali Khan said Wednesday that donor conference will soon be organized here to seek world support for speedy reconstruction and repair of destroyed infrastructure in militancy-hit Swat district.
As the devastation is beyond expectation, therefore, the generous assistance of world community would be highly welcomed, he added.
“We are planning to arrange donor conference in which national and international donor agencies, organizations and philanthropists would be invited to seek their financial support and apprised them about the huge devastation incurred to public and private properties during bloody cycle of violence in restive Swat district,” Wajid Ali Khan who belonged to Swat district told APP.
Despite NWFP government limited resources, the Minister said that millions of rupees have been allocated for reconstruction phase. The Environment Minister said that NWFP government is in touch with donor agencies including Friends of Pakistan in this regard.
“Our main objective is to establish lasting peace and tranquility in Swat and address problems of the Swatis. We can not see more bloodshed of innocent people in the picturesque valley, which once considered the Switzerland of Asia,” Wajid Ali said.
He said that about Rs.35billion would be required for reconstruction and repair of the damaged infrastructure that included schools, bridges, hospitals, roads and public-private properties. Agriculture, tourism, communication, forestry and building sectors in Swat received heavy toll that crippled its economy, he argued.
A senior official of Schools and Literacy Department said that more than 200 schools majority of which are girls were blown up in Swat valley. The debris of damaged buildings are being removed and tent schools are being established to save precious time of the students, he added.
The establishment of durable and permanent peace is directly linked with the success of Swat peace agreement inked by NWFP Government and Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariati Muhammadi (TNSM). The provincial government would utilize all available resources to make the accord a success.
The Minister said that some elements are trying to create hurdles in the way of Swat peace agreement for fulfillment of their nefarious agenda and reiterated that all such evil designs would be frustrated with power of the people.
The alleged flogging video, Mr. Wajid said, is high condemnable act which in fact the act staged by those elements, who wanted to flop the Swat peace agreement. However, he maintained that people are politically mature and they will foil all such conspiracies against peace efforts. The people would expose these elements trying to derail and sabotage peace process in the militancy-strife district.
The Minister sought help and assistance of the internal and external forces in making the Swat peace agreement a success.
The Minister said that peace has been restored in maximum areas of Swat valley and Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) have started returning back to their homes. However, he said that the process of repatriation is slow.
The Swat police is being equipped with latest weaponry and trained to counter insurgency effectively, he added. The Minister said that policemen have also started rejoining their duties.
In response to a question, the Minister said, new strategy to meet the ground realities in case the peace efforts failed in Swat would be formulated once, the presumption to this effect were proved correct. However, he said the peace pact was now enjoying popular support of the masses of the valley and will moving on right direction.
He urged media to play positive role in highlighting the salient agreement on positive note to bring long lasting and durable peace in the restive Valley.
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