RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: The youth of Utmankhel tribe, district Malakand, have pinned high hopes in PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is contesting elections from their National Assembly constituency NA-8 (Malakand Protected Area).

The constituency earlier known as NA-35 in last general elections of 2013 was won by the PTI candidate Junaid Akbar Khan. However, the PPP managed to retain one of its provincial assembly constituency from the area. In the local bodies’ polls of 2015, the PPP has resurrected and succeeded in electing its nominated district Nazim from there. The main Malakand highway leading towards district Swat, Dir and Chitral passes through its main cities of Sakhakot, Dargai and Batkhela.

The overall constituency in general and Uthmankhel areas in particular are highly backward. Unemployment and lack of irrigation water are the main problems of the area and the people are terming the selection of the constituency for PPP chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as blessing of Allah Almighty for them.

“The contesting of election by PPP chairman is big opportunity for the people to put the area on progress and development,” said a government official from the area on condition of anonymity.

He said that though since 1970, the PPP representatives had served the electorates of the constituency and they had constructed irrigation water supply schemes that irrigate some areas while schools and colleges have also been established.

The very first middle school at Kot town, the headquarters of Uthmankhel was up-graded during then PPP government in 1974 while its previous government (2008-13) established boys’ and girls’ colleges in the area, providing education facilities to the youth of the area.

The area has generated a large number of doctors, engineers and graduate in other different disciplines who are serving the nation. But, due to the lack of industry and business activities, the unemployment is a big challenge in the area. “Our area has potential for the promotion of agriculture and tourism sectors and after the election of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari he can initiate work on projects for the development of both sectors,” said Mohammad Amin, a youth from the locality.

“The construction of a 15 kilometres tunnel from River Panjkora is highly feasible project. A stream passes only two or three kilometres away from the district. The river would provide natural infrastructure for irrigation scheme,” advocated Izzat Khan, a graduate of Agricultural University Peshawar (AUP).

The area also has a big tourist attraction and the construction of a hill station on the top of Koh-e-Hazaar Nau is a long standing dream of the inhabitants. However, the project requires the construction of a road to the top of the mountain, costing billions of rupees. The mountain is extremely high, from there Peshawar, Charsadda and Mardan towns can be seen even without the use of telescope. The area also has several waterfalls attracting visitors during the monsoon seasons. The young PPP chairman in his parliamentary debut is facing Junaid Akbar Khan of PTI, Sajjad Ahmad of PML-N, Inamullah Khan of ANP and Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan of MMA. However, political observers of the area are considering Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as top favourite from the constituency.