PESHAWAR: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan promised his administration would give Sehat Insaf Card for free medical treatment to all tribal families during his trip to North Waziristan tribal district on Saturday.
He also announced to meet a longstanding demand of the residents of the area by bringing fast-speed internet facility to their hometown.
“Imran Khan instructed me to visit Waziristan and do everything I can for its people,” he told a gathering in Miran Shah, the most prominent town in the North Waziristan district. “Khan has always stood with tribal people in difficult times and he continues to be with you.”
After distributing Sehat Insaf Cards, he said: “This will allow you free medical treatment of up to Rs720,000 annually.”
It may be recalled that the Pakistan Army had launched a military operation against militants in North Waziristan in May 2014, triggering a mass exodus of more than 80,000 families from the area to safer locations in the country.
After the country’s security forces announced that they had cleared the region of extremist factions, most of these families returned to their native land, though some of them are still uprooted. Addressing the issue, the chief minister said that the remaining internally displaced people would soon be repatriated to North Waziristan.
Pakistan had adopted a constitutional amendment in May 2018, making it possible to merge the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The amendment had also abrogated the colonial-era laws that were used to govern the tribal belt and were designed to deprive its people of their basic legal rights.
However, the area still remains quite underdeveloped, making the chief minister announce that his administration would do everything in its power to educate local children. “Youth will be given interest-free loans to fulfill their dream of acquiring better skill and running their own businesses,” he added.
Funds allocated for tribal areas, he continued, would be spent on infrastructure development of tribal districts. “We will ensure transparency and fight corruption. It is my responsibility to resolve your grievances,” he told the gathering.
Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed, who was also accompanying Chief Minister Khan to the tribal district, assured the residents of North Waziristan that Prime Minister Imran Khan had great affection for them and would do everything to fulfill his promises with the local population.
“The prime minister earnestly wants to settle issues of Waziristan and is well aware of the miseries of tribal people,” he added.
