PESHAWAR: The Fata Students Federation has rejected the appointment of non-local persons in Safeer-e-Baldiat project of the UNDP in merged tribal districts aimed at creating awareness among the people about the local government system.
Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, the Students Federation president Jasim Afridi, secretary general Zahid Shah, senior vice president Akhir Zaman Wazir and other office-holders said step-motherly attitude with merged districts will never be tolerated.
The students’ leaders said thousands of educated youth are jobless in merged districts, but jobs are being given to outsiders. They said appointment of non-local persons in Safeer-e-Baldiat project in merged districts is a big injustice with local educated youth.
The Students Federation office-holders said scholarships of students from merged districts have been stopped. They said the government had promised to continue special quota and scholarships for tribal students for 10 years after merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but now the students are being deprived of their rights. They said they will move the court and also stage protests if the government did not take action over appointment of non-local persons in the UNDP project.
Ten district coordinators and 120 youth ambassadors have been appointed for field work for Safeer-e-Baldiat project. Sources said non-locals have been appointed on most seats of district coordinators, while 35 out of 120 youth ambassadors are also non-local.
The UNDP strongly denies appointment of non-local persons on the post of district coordinators. A source said that some non-local people were appointed on the posts of youth ambassadors because suitable candidates were not available from tribal districts.
The KP Local Government Department also insists that the appointments in the project in tribal districts have been made purely on merit and over 90 percent of those who got jobs are local citizens. The LG Department strongly rejected the news circulating in the media about favouritism in appointments.
On Wednesday, Safeer-e-Baldiat programme commenced formally in Kurram tribal district, but it was marred by protest from the local youth.
Awareness sessions of the programme were organised at Jirga Hall in Lower Kurram, Sadda and Parachinar. However, the session in Sadda was marred when the youth announced boycott over alleged violation of merit in appointments for the project.