Khyber PA asks teams to register quake affected a inin remote areas

Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: Khyber Agency’s Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah on Friday directed the survey teams to visit the far-flung areas of Bara and Landikotal tehsils to register the rest of the earthquake affectees.

The directives were issued as officials of the security forces and political administration held a meeting at the Khyber House in Peshawar.

The meeting, chaired by the political agent, was also attended by Member National Assembly (MNA) Nasir Khan Afridi, senior officials of the Mehsud Scouts, Swat Scouts and Khyber Rifles, assistant political agents of Bara, Jamrud and Landikotal and a representative of MNA Shahji Gul Afridi.

The meeting was told that so for 57 destroyed and 124 damaged houses had been registered in Landikotal, Jamrud and Bara.

The political agent later told The News that the survey had been extended for a few days so that the remaining damaged houses could also be registered.

He said the owner of a destroyed house would be paid Rs0.2 million while those whose houses were partially damaged would get Rs0.1 million each.

The political agent expressed satisfaction over the ongoing survey and also appreciated the army’s contribution to the process.

Shahab Ali Shah said that Pakistan Army provided security to the survey teams and also helped the teams in reaching the far-flung areas.

Meanwhile, local sources said that at least 70 percent houses were damaged when the Taliban fighters attacked the pro-government organisation Ansarul Islam in Maidan area in the Tirah Valley in 2013. The government later sent a team to the area to assess the damage.

“At least 20 percent houses developed cracks in the recent earthquake in Maidan area,” stated Sarwar Afridi whose house was also damaged.

He said the government had not sent any survey team to Tirah so far. He added that the government had not announced financial support to the earthquake affectees in Maidan area.