Smart lockdown ends in 89 northwest localities

Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Ajmal Khan Wazir has said that a “smart lockdown” has been enforced in 214 areas in different districts as part of a policy to stem spread of the coronavirus in the province.

Speaking with journalists, he said that 805,877 people were confined to their homes in the province.

He said that Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz is supervising the areas where the smart lockdown is imposed.

Lockdown ended in 89 areas, including 15 in Nowshera, 12 in Bajaur, and eight in Abbottabad, two in Bannu, four each in Buner, Charsadda and Peshawar, two in Chitral Upper, and five in Mardan.

Similarly, the smart lockdown has also been ended in one area each of South Waziristan, Hangu, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber, Kurram, Tank, three in Swat, six in Mansehra, three in Malakand, five in Lower Dir, two in Upper Dir, and three in Haripur.

Wazir said that for the first time in the history of country, deprivation of tribal people was being addressed.

“The merger process was difficult, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, our government completed it,” he added.

Wazir said that for the first time transparent elections were held in the merged districts and the tribal people were given representation in the provincial assembly.

He added that health facilities are being provided to the people in the tribal districts through the Sehat Sahulat Programme.

Wazir said that the Khasadar Force has been merged into the police force.

He added that for the first time, the tribal people got the right to a lawyer, argument, and appeal.

Wazir explained that the Sindh government had not been giving the agreed 3% share under the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) for the development of the merged districts, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was using all its resources for the development of erstwhile Federally-Administered Tribal Area (Fata).

He said that steps are also being taken for the education of special children in the province.

Wazir added that secondary and higher secondary examinations for the next academic session of special children would be conducted by Peshawar board.

He revealed that at present 3,300 special children are studying in government institutions.

A steering committee has been constituted to conduct examinations for special children.

Wazir said that the government would provide psychological training to teachers in 34 government schools, to provide psychological support to children.