Grant for North Waziristan journalists announced

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan on Monday announced Rs50,000 grant for every journalist displaced from North Waziristan Agency.

The announcement was made during a meeting between the governor and 32 members of North Waziristan Union of Journalists.
The governor had convened the meeting to know about the problems faced by internally displaced persons of North Waziristan in general and that of local journalists in particular.

The journalists led by Pazir Gul, Safdar Dawar and Noor Behram informed the governor about their plight and said the government should play active role in addressing the problems of IDPs.

They said displaced women faced multiple problems, including delay in registration, as scores of them didn’t have national identity cards.

The governor said he was hopeful that his next meeting with North Waziristan journalists would be at the Miramshah Press Club after restoration of peace in that region. He said despite displacement, the North Waziristan residents would play the due role in restoration of peace in the area.

Sardar Mehtab said he was hopeful that the military operation against militants would be completed at the earliest with the minimum possible collateral damage.

He said the North Waziristan residents, who had long been living in settled areas, were not entitled to cash and relief goods and that the government would ensure that relief reach the right people.

The governor said IDPs faced several health problems, so he had spoken to the chief minister about their early resolution. He said the relevant authorities were in talks with different relief organisations for sending volunteers to health facilities in the districts hosting IDPs, especially Bannu.

Sardar Mehtab later handed over a cheque of Rs16 million to the visitors.