Ajmal Khan Wazir Meets KP Chief Secretary, Discusses Merged Districts Issues, Focus on Tehsil Shakai

Hamid Khan Wazir

PESHAWAR: Ajmal Khan Wazir, former Provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, called on Shahab Ali Shah, Chief Secretary KP, to discuss the pressing issues faced by residents of the merged districts (erstwhile FATA), with particular focus on Tehsil Shakai, a scenic valley in Lower South Waziristan district.

During the meeting, detailed discussion was held on the construction of the Tehsil building in Shakai, the timely completion of the Shakai Dam project, and other key challenges confronting the local population.

It is pertinent to mention here that the construction of the fate-changing Shakai Dam, South Waziristan, began nearly a decade ago with great optimism at an estimated cost of Rs 676.143 million. However, years of repeated delays—despite multiple assurances—have raised serious concerns, as the relevant authorities appear to have shown little urgency in bringing the project to completion.

Ajmal Khan Wazir emphasized the urgent need for practical steps to address infrastructure gaps and ensure swift development in the area to facilitate the residents.

The Chief Secretary assured that the concerns raised would be reviewed on priority and necessary measures would be taken for early resolution of the highlighted issues.

Residents of Shakai staged several protests and held meetings with concerned officials, demanding not only the dam’s immediate completion but also strict adherence to the originally approved design; however, these efforts yielded no meaningful results. There is widespread apprehension within the community that substantial alterations to the design may have reduced the project’s intended effectiveness and long-term benefits for the region.

Residents of scenic valley believed the government offered nothing beyond verbal assurances instead of taking practical, tangible steps to turn this long-standing promise into reality. In this context, the recent meeting held by Ajmal Khan Wazir carried particular significance, as he hails from this scenic valley and is well aware of the area’s needs and the expectations of its people.