By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Speakers here on Thursday said that local people in a community must stand united to resolve their collective social, political, legal and developmental issues.
They were addressing a convention of the local support organisations (LSOs) of Malakand division organized by Sarhad Rural Support Organization under European Union funded PEACE project. The convention was meant to highlight the role and importance of local support organisations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
District nazim Mohammad Ali Shah, tehsil nazim Ikram Khan, SP Khankhail, EDO Saeed Ahmad, ADC Tahir Khan, assistant registrar cooperative department Syed Hassan, Sarhad Rural Support Programme board of directors member Ehsanullah Khan, LGRD representative Nasir Khan, Shakeel Khan and Zubair Awan also attended the event.
Nazim Mohammad Ali Shah said that sustainable community development could be achieved only through viable community-based organisations. “I am personally a witness to all the changes that social mobilisation and community organisation brought in my area. I am proud to be a social activist,” he said.
Ehsanullah Khan said that it was for the first time that European Union extended financial support of 40 million euro to SRSP to benefit local communities in Malakand division.
Tehsil Nazim Babuzi Swat Ikram Khan appreciated the event and said that it was an open forum for mutual learning and experience sharing with different stakeholders.
The government officials, present on the occasion, also appreciated the role of local organisations in development of the area.
Community leaders from 13 different LSOs shared their achievements made for their communities regarding poverty reduction, awareness among communities about education, health, and legal and civil rights.
A video message of Shoaib Sultan Khan, the chairman of RSPN and the initiator of LSO in Pakistan, was also shared in the convention regarding role and importance of LSOs for development of community.
Souvenirs were given away to the members of LSOs and speakers in the conventions.
