ANP wants schools in tribal districts rehabilitated

PESHAWAR: Rejecting the hike in gas tariff, the Awami National Party (ANP) said on Tuesday that the government had burdened the consumers with an increase in the prices.

Through a statement, ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti asked the government to withdraw the increase in gas price as it would make life difficult for the poor. He said the masses had suffered due to inflation, joblessness, loadshedding and lawlessness and such decisions would further affect the economy.

The proponents of 'Naya Pakistan' started new experiments soon after forming the government, he said, adding that masses would suffer due to their experiments. He asked the federal government to launch welfare projects in the tribal districts and ensure the development package as announced for these areas.

The ANP leader directed the party workers to work hard for ensuring the victory of own candidates in the by-election and defeat the stooges of the anti-democratic forces. He also asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to refrain from transferring its powers to others and conduct free and fair election.

Meanwhile, the ANP asked the government to rehabilitate more than 600 educational institutions and resume educational activities there. Through a statement issued the party provincial general secretary, Sardar Hussain Babak asked the government to stop deceiving masses by making tall claims about converting the Governor's House and other government buildings into educational institutes.

He said the government should instead focus on rehabilitating the educational institutions in the tribal districts which had remained closed for several years. The ANP leader said the institutions remained shut due to the poor law and order situation and the future of the students at these institutions was at stake.

He said that security personnel had occupied these institutions which deprived hundreds of students of education. Sardar Hussain Babak said that several facilities in the tribal districts were destroyed and needed reconstruction. He asked the government to take practical steps to provide education to children in the tribal districts. The ANP leader said the teacher-parent committees should be constituted forthwith in the schools of the tribal districts.