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Thanks to MPA Ghulam Muhammad

Dear Editor,

Through your esteemed on line paper I would like to extend my gratitude to Haji Ghulam Muhammad MPA, PA 90, Chitral for his keen interest in the development of the most neglected valley of Chitral, the Yarkhun valley. In the inaugural address at the inauguration ceremony of the re-construction work of Brep-Bridge he has assured the public of rectification of the injustices done with the people in the past. He has also informed that widening and carpeting of Mastuj-Brep road had been approved by the honorable CM, NWFP and that the existing Yarkhun-Road would be widened.

During the last sixty years, this valley has received no attention of our public representatives and the government functionaries. The reasons are though obvious but none has dared to mention. Despite the fact that the valley has been of the most strategic importance it remained without roads, telecommunication, electricity and other basic civic facilities. For a population of about thirty thousand souls there is only one BHU at village Brep, mostly with no qualified medical officer, just at the start of this 200 km long valley, non-approachable for the rest of the valley. Similarly, there are two boys� high schools at Brep and Bung, completely inaccessible for the students of upper Yarkhun and Boroghal. The girl students have no govt: high school in the whole valley and they are compelled to enroll in to boys� schools after passing their primary/ middle classes to whom these high schools are accessible and the majority is deprived of there further education after they pass their primary. Though the Aga khan Education Services have established two high schools for girls but they cater for female population of limited area because of scattered distributed population and no communication facility for this weak sect. The family health units of AKHSP have been rendering basic health services to the female and children population of the area, while the AKRSP has benefited the public with link-roads & bridges, widening irrigation channels and energizing through small hydro-electric power houses. Had the AKDN not come to their help, the poor masses of this historical valley would have been living in the Stone Age in this modern era. But it is not possible for an NGO to solve all the problems of the public unless the government extends its helping hand. The public of Yakhun look forward to the ANP-PPP coalition government for resolving their problems of health, education, telephone, road and electricity on priority.

These are a few to name out of a long list of hot issues of this area; however, the most trouble some issue has been non-existence of its permanent link with other parts of the district for the last two years. Its only means of connection, Brep-Bridge was washed away during 2006 flooding, solely because of the lethargic behaviour of the Works and Services Department in timely repair of its protection embankments/walls, and thus this valley remained disconnected from the rest of Chitral in the summers of 2006 & 2007, causing irreparable financial loss to the poor people of the area when the transporters plying for the for flung villages freely and mercilessly fleeced the poor commuters. Now, the reconstruction of Brep-bridge has been inaugurated by Haji Ghulam Muhammad PMA and the people are hopeful that the construction work will be accelerated. The contractor, Haji Muhammad Khan being an honest, trustworthy and hard working personality would surely come up to the expectations of the people, both in terms of quality and quantity of work. They also expect that their worthy MPA would save them from the callous and greedy jaws of the transporters by keeping the temporary bridge serviceable till the completion of the truck able bridge.

Sher Wali Khan Aseer