Multipurpose Benazir Complex at Risalpur, which was inaugurated by the slain Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto on the strong demand of women of Nowshera from district and its adjoining areas in her first tenure in 1989, is still lying incomplete.  

Though the Benazir government had released Rs220 million for the project, it fell prey to political wrangling. When Benazir government was toppled and Nawaz Sharif took up the reins of the government the project was scraped.

The site of the Benazir Complex for women, spreading over an area of 200 kanals, is located near Pakistan Air Force (PAF) academy and Risalpur Airbase some 8km away from the main Nowshera city.

According to locals, more than 50 per cent construction work has been completed on the project but it was put into cold storage and the structure had been standing there ever since the Nawaz government came to power in 1990, although it is being used to provide shelter to IDPs from Bajaur and Mohammad agencies.

Social activists and political workers have been struggling hard for the last four years to force the incumbent Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government at the centre as well as its coalition partners in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to restart the construction work on the Benazir Complex so that women of Risalpur, districts Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera could benefit from it.

Maj-Gen (retired) Naseerullah Khan Babar, a staunch PPP leader, had bartered the plot for the Complex at Risalpur army base under his special  request with a piece of land in Kohat defence area.

The proposed site has a layout plan for girl’s school, college, women vocational centre, women bank, utility store, special women treatment institute, women’ display art gallery, women’s hospital, post office, technical and engineering training institute, embroidery and handiwork training centre and a girl’s hostel.

Shamim Akhtar, former general secretary PPP women wing Risalpur, journalist, social activist and now a PPP worker, told this reporter that it was she who led the campaign for launching a complex for women in the area as they could not afford to take admission for getting various types of training in Peshawar.

She said she had taken up the issue with PPP local leaders on several forums but no one heard her voice.

“The historic thing about this complex is that it was first and last project for women development that was inaugurated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by Benezir Bhutto. I remember that after the inauguration she promised me that her dream for the empowerment of KP women would soon come true. But alas, the performance of PPP government is disappointing and far from good. I humbly request President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP leaders to come forward and materialise Benazir’s vision,” Shamim appealed.

Locals feared that sheltering IDPs in the incomplete project might ruin the structure, and demanded of the central and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to get it vacated, release funds and restart construction on the multi-purpose Benazir Complex.

Aliya Shahrayar Khan, a teacher at a vocational institute for women in Peshawar, said that those girls who came from Nowshera on daily basis faced numerous problems.

She said everyday she heard different stories of difficulties and tribulations from her female students while coming and going homes as their parents did not allow them to stay in hostels in Peshawar.

If the Benazir Complex is built at Risalpur, the girls would be relieved of many problems and many others who could not afford coming daily to Peshawar would get a chance to benefit from the institute, Miss Khan suggested.

Salim Khokar, President Pakistan People’s Party Nowshera district, while expressing his disappointment over the project being put into a cold storage said: “if our own government is not doing something to re-launch a project inaugurated by Benazir Bhutto then who will do it. More than 60 per cent work has been completed on it. I have raised my voice for it at several forums and even met former PPP President for Nowshera and the sitting minister in KP cabinet Liaqat Shabab but to no avail. I believe it is an injustice to the political acumen of Benazir Bhutto who had a great vision for women’s empowerment.”

When contacted Liaqat Shabab told Dawn: “I took up this issue with President Asif Ali Zardari who took keen interest in the incomplete project and immediately issued directives to then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani regarding restarting work on the project but then military operation in tribal agencies forced IDPs to move to settled areas including district Nowshera.

“A month ago I once again put the file of the project in front of Prime Minister Pervez Asharf during his visit to Peshawar, a copy of the letter each has been issued to Woman Division, Rural Development Department and me as well detailing restarting work on the project and finally I got a green signal, and the project will soon get going, the vision of Benazir Bhutto will come true before the PPP government completes her successful tenure.”

He said that PPP workers, local elders and women activists all were on board adding 80 per cent work had already been completed.

To a query regarding the 200 IDPs families from tehsil Charmang, Bajauar agency presently occupying the structure he said:

“IDPs will be accommodated at some other proper place while construction work will be restarted on the huge Benazir Complex with an estimated cost of Rs50 million.  I hope the multipurpose Benazir Complex would be made fully functional in two months’s time.”