CHITRAL: Participants of a dialogue called for measures to address the issues regarding poor municipal services, absence of solid waste management system, water shortage and haphazard construction in the Chitral city.

Awaz Forum of South-Asia Pak Partnership (SAP-Pk) arranged the dialogue here the other day.

The participants, mostly representatives of civil society organisations, pointed out the poor service delivery by different government departments, which added to the people’s misery.

They also pointed out lack of check to regulate rates of essential commodities, exorbitant fares of public transport, and supply of substandard and spurious foods in the local markets.

Speaking on the occasion, SAP-Pk district coordinator, Mohammad Ismail, said the main objective of the dialogue was to improve social service delivery and provide the marginalised segments of the society with a chance to raise their issues with the relevant quarters.

He said the Awaz Forum had bridged the gap between the civil society and the organisations providing social service to Chitral.

Mr Ismail said a number of steps had been taken to bring the marginalised women to the mainstream and involve them in social activities, adding it was heartening to note that the steps had been yielding positive results.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2016