SHANGLA: Unemployed youth here have demanded of the government to set up zone-6 for six districts of Malakand and Hazara divisions as the lawmakers had already passed a bill for this purpose in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly last year.
The local youth raised the demand on Thursday following an announcement that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister was expected to visit Shangla on October 3.
Wakeel Khan, a social activist, said they had met the lawmakers of all respective districts and urged them to play their due role in setting up of the new zone so that they could get due share in jobs.
He said that the MPAs met the chief minister in this regard and convinced him and then passed a bill from the KP Assembly. He said that a committee was also formed to pursue the matter.
“The new zone is need of the hour and will help the unemployed people with in getting jobs,” he said.
Tariq Rauf, a local scholar, said that the government should not use delaying tactics in declaration of zone-6. He said that the chief minister was likely to visit Bisham Shangla next week along with federal minister Murad Saeed for a public meeting.
He hoped that the chief minister would formally announce zone six and then issue directives for its implementation.
He urged Murad Saeed to announce Bisham-Swat expressway project at the public meeting.
Imran Yousafzai, a jobless social activist from Torghar, said that the educated youth in Torghar, Shangla, Battagram and Kohistan were still waiting to get jobs. He said that currently there were over 10 districts in Zone-3.
“We, the residents of the districts of zone six would be grateful to the government if it formally set up the zone,” he said.
