Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: The oath taking ceremony of the Youth Jirga Landi Kotal chapter was held in the Jirga Hall on Sunday.

In addition to the Member National Assembly (MNA) from NA-45,Haji Shajeegul Afridi as the chief guest, President Pakistan People Party (PPP) Khyber Agency Hazrat Wali Afridi, members of FATA Youth Jirga, Adnan Shinwari and Amir Afridi, Jamaat-e-Islam (JI) Landi Kotal Ameer Zia-ul-Haq Afridi, Landi Kotal President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Muhammad Hakim, local leader of Awami National Party (ANP) Meenawal Shinwari and dozens of students, political and social workers were among the participants of the gathering.

Addressing to the moot MNA Haji Shajeegul Afridi said that if history of the world was revealed no revolution and change can be possible without the participation of the youth and urged the members of the tribal community to join hands with them to change the fate of the tribal belt.

“Decision of introduction of reforms in FATA has been finalized and will be initiating implementing it in the near future and no one will be able to block it”, Afridi remarked.

He called upon the tribal community to apply their power of vote in the upcoming election and reject those elements that were not in favor of eliminating the draconian law, Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) from the tribal region.

The MNA came hard on those whom he said had utilized religion for their worldly benefits and soon people would be aware of them and they would be disclosed.

Hazrat Wali Afridi, Zia-ul-Haq Afridi, Muhammad Hakim, Amir Afridi and others also spoke on the occasion.

At the end the chief guest administered oath to 16 members of Youth Jirga of Landi Kotal.

Meanwhile, a book review ceremony of Pashto poetry themed, “Shelman Rud” was held here in government degree college hall of Tehsil Landi Kotal yesterday.

The literary activity was organized under the banner of Shelman Adabi Jirga and Zakha Khel elder Malik Nadeem was the chief guest on the occasion. In addition to a number of local poets, writers, scholars and members of civil society participated in the simple but impressive gathering.

Speaking on the occasion Malik Nadeem Afridi said poets reflect rites of society through their poems and writings however he added poet and teacher communities had been totally ignored in the society and that was the reason they were living in terrible conditions. He expressed his gratitude to the publisher of the book and said it was a good omen to publish poetry of the financially unstable poets and scholars.

The compiler of the book Naveed Alam Naveed while sharing his views said that poetry of 26 Pashto language poets had been collected in the book aimed to publicize the Pashto language and highlight its writers and scholars. He added that publishing of poets and writers works was the best way to serve and promote the Pashto language.

A poetry reciting session was also held in which dozens of poets from across Khyber and Peshawar read prose and ghazals and amused the audience.

Published in Daily Times, January 8^th 2018.