MIRAN SHAH - Pakistan Army yesterday assured locals in North Waziristan District that the shops reconstructed after the Zarb-e-Azb military operation will be handed over to their "rightful owners".
Journalists and anchorpersons from national and international media visited Miranshah and Ghulam Khan Border Terminal on Monday along with Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor and interacted with local people.
The DG ISPR heard the locals regarding their issues during the visit. Some of them complained that their shops, which were destroyed in the operation and were to be handed over to them after reconstruction, were being allotted to others through a reported “fake database”.
DG ISPR assured them that there would be no foul play and shops would only be handed to the claimants after thorough investigation of the ownership.
“This is why you, the local administration and the owners, have been included [in the process]. The lists will be scrutinised to make sure that those who have made fake claims are not given the stores and that only rightful owners get shops.”
When locals urged Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor to ensure that no fake database is released, he asked them if there had been progress on the matter of shops reconstruction and handover process after the first time they had visited Islamabad. The locals agreed that there had been significant progress.
“You will have the shops before my next visit,” he assured them.