LANDI KOTAL: Development activities and matters relating to Khasadar and Levies forces have been affected seriously as the post of additional political agent (development) has been vacant for almost three months in Khyber Agency.

For reasons best known to the officials of Fata Secretariat and Governor`s House, the post has been vacant since mid February.

After the transfer of the then APA Ghulam Habib, no official has been appointed on the vacant post.

According to rules, the additional political agent in any tribal agency is supposed to oversee all the development schemes after finalising Annual Development Programme for the agency with the consent of political agent and in consultation with local tribal elders.

The additional political agent also looks after the affairs of Khasadar and Levies forces along with issuing domicile certificates, national identity cards and awarding scholarships to tribal students in various educational institutions.

`Development activities in the restive Bara, Landi Kotal and Jamrud have been greatly affected owing to the absence of APA (development),` said Hashim Khan Afridi, a former agency councillor and government contractor.

He said that prior to the transfer of the previous APA, the administration would call regular meetings about the pace and progress of ongoing development projects and proposals about new schemes.

`Not a single meeting regarding development schemes and its execution has been held since the post fell vacant in mid February which is seriously hampering the pace of development in Khyber Agency,` he said.

He alleged that political administration was intentionally avoiding consulting local elders and government contractors regarding selection of development schemes.

Mr Afridi said that administration was mostly relying on the advice of the officials of government departments rather than general people in selection of development projects. `Development funds worth millions of rupees have gone waste as the administration has mostly approved non-feasible schemes, ignoring the advice of local stakeholders,` he added.

The absence of APA (development) has also affected the timely issuance of domicile certificates and attestation of documents required for Computerised National Identity Cards.

Staff at Khyber House told this scribe that hundreds of such applications were awaiting signature of the APA.

Ali Gohar, a student of Agricultural University, said that his studies were badly affected as he was required to take rounds of Khyber House to put official signature on his academic documents but could not do it as the ofHcial concerned was yet to be posted on the vacant post.

The officials at Fata Secretariat, when contacted, said that some influential personalities including tribal parliamentarians were trying to bring in `their own man` on the vacant post.

They, however, said that a major administrative shake up was in the offing in coming few days as Governor`s House was busy in selecting `appropriate` officials for the posts of political agents of some tribal agencies.

As soon the list was finalised, the vacant post of APA in Khyber Agency would be filled, they added.