Torghar residents demand health, education facilities

MANSEHRA: The residents of Torghar on Friday asked the government to provide them health, education and other facilities.

“We are still living in the stone age without basic amenities and request the government to address our problems as we don’t want to lose more lives as we lost in the recent boat capsizing incident and couldn’t find even a single body of 23 victims,” Abdul Qadir Bassikhel, a local said at an open forum organised by district administration in Harnal village.

The forum was attended among others by Additional Deputy Commissioner Mansoor Arshad, Assistant Commissioner Khurram Rehman Jadoon, District Police Officer Hafiz Janis Khan and head of almost all devolved departments.

The residents said that though Torghar was given the status of a settled district in 2011, its residents were still living without proper facilities.

“We ask the rulers for the sake of our children to provide us basic amenities and build schools and health facilities as our patients die on the way to hospitals in Mansehra and Abbottabad,” Abdul Qadir said.

Ziaur Rehman, a member, Judbah Tehsil Council, said it was happening for the first time that such a public forum was organised here.

“We hope that officers would address our civic problems and future of our children would be secured,” he said. The additional deputy commissioner and other officials assured that they would address the problems of the local people.