No high school for Uthmanzai area students

GHALANAI, May 4: Most of the students in Uthmanzai area of Pandiali tehsil of Mohmand Agency are saying goodbye to education after passing middle school examinations as there is no high school in their area.

Uthmanzai is a far-flung and backward area of Pandiali tehsil with low literacy rate. Residents of the area said that buildings of both the high and middle schools in Hashim Kor and Ajmal Uthmanzai respectively were ready, but teaching staff was not sanctioned for these schools.

The nearest high school to Uthmanzai area is at a distance of about 18 kilometres in Nahqi area, which has compelled many students to quit education halfway.  Also, there is no primary school for girls in the area due to which female education has not yet been started.

Students of the area, Saeed Gul of class 9th, and Usman and Ziaur Rehman of class 10th, told Dawn that they covered a distance of about 18 kilometres daily on foot to reach their school in Nahqi area of Kamali Haleemzai.

When contacted, agency education officer of Mohmand Agency Said Mohammad Khan said that they had sent the request for appointment of teachers at High School Hashim Kor to the authorities, but completion of work on the building of middle school Ajmal Uthmanzai would take some time.

The officer said that there were about 300 students who had been facing problems due to unavailability of high school education facility in the area.

SPORTS MEET: Mohmand Cricket Association (MCA) arranged a programme for under-19 cricketers of Mohmand Agency here at the press club on Friday. Political tehsildar
Fazal-i-Karim was the chief guest at the function.

Mr Karim said that the administration was trying to solve all problems of players in the agency. He said that a sports stadium would be constructed in Atta area of Khewazai tehsil.

MCA president Shah Mehmood said that the PCB had set up a separate Fata region and trials were conducted in each of the seven tribal agencies. He said that they had selected 30 under-19 cricket players in Mohmand Agency.

(Dawn)