LOWER DIR: Disappointed by successive governments and local lawmakers, two citizens’ organisations advocating for regional development, on Monday notified separate subject matter experts (SMEs) to coordinate with government functionaries and local lawmakers for ensuring successful completion of mega development projects in the Lower Dir district.

The decision was taken during a Zoom meeting held here the other day with Rahim Shah Akhunkhel, chief of Dir Overseas Pakistanis Association (Dopa) and Dir Think Tank (DTT), in the chair.

The notification issued by Mr Akhunkhel, who is based in the United States, notified Eng Adnan Nawaz as SME for the Dir Motorway project, Dr Wali Rehman for establishment of Panjkora division, Dr Nadeem Sheikh for Timergara Medical College, Dr Abdul Wahab for establishment of Dir campus of the University of Engineering and Technology, Tajdar Yousafzai for University of Dir, Ibrar Pasha for Gopalum irrigation scheme and Balambat irrigation channel, and Dr Hanif Yousafzai as SME for tourism development in Dir.

All the Dopa and DTT members have been asked to extend their support and cooperation to the SMEs and solicit their expertise and inputs on the projects.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Akhunkhel said the assigned SMEs had expertise, professional and advanced technical knowledge in their particular fields. He said the SMEs would strive to ensure the execution of the projects.

Mr Akhunkhel said he had alsofiled a contempt of court petition in the Peshawar High Court through Malik Ajmal Khan Advocate against the delay in completion of Dir Expressway project.

He told Dawn on contact that the PHC on Friday directed the National Highway Authority chairman, secretary finance and managing director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority to submit their reply on the contempt petition.

MEETING: The University of Malakand (UoM) on Monday decided to implement the Higher Education Commission’s decision on new graduate policy.

The decision was taken during the 21st meeting of the UoM’s Academic Council with Vice-Chancellor Prof Rashid Ahmed in the chair.

Varsity’s public relations officer Mirajul Hameed Nasari said the UoM would rearrange BS final-term research paper, which was wrongly distributed among students by the supervisory staff at the affiliated colleges.

He said the students were provided with a different paper in the colleges. He said the varsity would soon announce its schedule to conduct the paper at the main campus for students, who were earlier provided with another paper.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024