Appearing from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad & Quetta

Thursday, October 22, 2009, Zhul-Q'ada 02, 1430

World community urged to honour aid pledges

Peshawar—The world community and international donor agencies have been urged by NWFP Government to full their aid pledges for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of militancy-hit Swat and Malakand.

The devastation in Swat and Malakand is behind expectation. I appeal to the international community to come forward and fulfill their aid pledges so that reconstruction process in Swat and Malakand Division could be started in large scale,” NWFP Minister for Science and Technology, Ayub Ashari told APP. He said that hundreds of schools, health units, roads, bridges, forestry, tourism and agriculture sectors have received heavy damages during the last two years due to militancy and terrorism.

The Minister said that millions of rupees were needed for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure of schools in the restive Swat valley. The reconstruction of around 200 damaged schools in district Swat would take time besides huge funds were required for the rehabilitation process of health, roads, bridges, agriculture, forestry and irrigation sectors. “The government alone could not provide the huge sum for the reconstruction of damaged school buildings and other infrastructure and asked for donors’, civil society and other welfare organizations financial help in this regard”.

The process of reconstruction in the restive district of Swat would soon start at large scale. The NWFP Government would highly welcome the generous and quick support of donor agencies and world community in this regard, he reiterated.

Most of the damages have been reported to these sectors at Kabal, Charbagh, Matta and Mingora Tehsils. He said that NWFP government was giving special focus on reconstruction of damage schools and health institutions in Swat valley. The militants’ fears in Swat have significantly been removed and routine life is coming to normalcy.—APP

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