Paktia residents urge next president to bolster peace

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Calling peace and stability among their top priorities, the residents of southeastern Paktia province on Wednesday demanded the next president should fight corruption and hire professional officials to ensure good governance.

They urged the next president to initiate reconstruction services in the strategically located Paktia province.

Muhammad Shakoor Kamran, a resident of Gardez, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News the upcoming president must take action for solving economic problems of the people.

“We hope the prospective president will pay more attention to develop Paktia. The province is facing lack of schools and health services. Moreover, roads are also in dilapidated condition,” he informed.

Khatira, a student of 11^th grade in Halima Khazan High School, said some women had been serving in different fields for the past 13 years. She hoped the next president would work out a strategy to increase the share of women in different departments.

She complained violence, lack of access to education and outdated tribal traditions were main problems being faced by women.

She said: “There are hundreds of women in Paktia who lost their husbands and sons in ongoing violence. Now, they have no means to eke out livelihood for their orphan kids.”

Haji Mamoor, a tribal elder said, no commendable job had been done during the last 13 years in terms of development. The country’s new leader should pay greater attention to develop the province.

Because of its strategic location, factories should be established in the province with building of more dams, he added.

Haje Ziarat Gul, a tribal elder of Ahmad Aba district said, the next president should prioritize to launch development projects in larger interests of the local community.

“Work on construction of Gardez-Zurmat and Gardez-Khost highways and Machalgho dam should be accelerated,” he stressed.

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