NAROWAL, Jan 17: The district is deprived of basic civic facilities despite having five ministers and three parliamentary secretaries from it. With a population of around 1.5 million, Narowal is the only district in Punjab which is lacking in Sui gas, industry, and proper health and education facilities.

Several known politicians, including former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, former defence minister Syed Ghaus Ali Shah and ex-chief coordinator programme 2010 Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal, were elected from this district but they did nothing for the public welfare.

At present, there are three MNAs and five MPAs in the district. Five of them are enjoying the federal or provincial minister’s status while the rest are designated as parliamentary secretaries.

MNA Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed Khan is holding the portfolio of the federal health minister, MNA Chaudhry Danial Aziz the NRB chairman, MNA Begum Riffat Javed Kahloon the federal parliamentary secretary (telecommunication), MPA Pir Syed Saeedul Hasan Shah provincial auqaf minister, MPA Dr Tahir Ali Javed provincial health minister, MPA Col Muhammad Abbas (retired) provincial parliamentary Secretary (C&W), MPA Col Shujat (retired) adviser to the chief minister and MPA Chaudhry Khisar Ilyas Virk chairman of the standing committee (information).

During the last three years, these politicians had only enjoyed their status and stayed themselves away from any development work in the district.

The people have long been demanding Sui gas facility and the establishment of a tax-free industrial zone in the district, but nothing has so far been done in this respect.

Both the federal and provincial health ministers are from the Narowal district, but the construction of DHQ Hospital has been pending since long. The present hospital is without necessary staff, equipment and other facilities.

The 40-bed THQ Hospital was renamed as DHQ Hospital when Narowal was given the district status in 1990. In the last 15 years, the hospital could not get the DHQ status. It is running without any specialist doctor, while the strength of doctors, para-medical staff and medicines are insufficient. The emergency ward is also badly ill-equipped.

Most of patients, even for emergency treatment, are referred to other cities. In the absence of any gynaecologist, female patients have to face serious problems.

People have to move to other cities in search of jobs for the district is devoid of any industry. The education facility is becoming scarce as the population is increasing fast here. Admission to schools and colleges is no more an easy task because the institutions are already over-burdened. No new schools and colleges are being opened in the district.

Students have to bear heavy expenditure in other cities to get technical education as the district lacks such institution with proper facilities.

A Rs1.75 billion package planned for the district 18 months back is still pending due to differences among local elected representatives. The visit of President Pervez Musharraf in Narowal, who had to announce the package, has been postponed a number of times.