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A lost Ball in the High Weeds

The government of Norway very graciously responded to the slow pace of economic development of the most backward district of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province, Chitral, through colossal funding to launch the development initiatives focusing more; the heretofore neglected areas for various reasons. Chitral Integrated Area Development Programme (CIADP) through THRIVES had hardly completed the initial assessments of the identified sectors of interventions, a long row to hoe, delegated to the Local Support Organizations (LSOs) as Executing Partners, when an imprudent discourse, reportedly with the connivance of the DCO, of some Political leaders was arranged without the consent of the visiting Program Manager of the Norwegian Embassy who was on a courtesy call in DCO’s office on 23rd June 2010.

The visiting guest took a very serious note of the unscheduled meeting that was against the norms of protocol and the reportedly derogatory language used by the Leader of the political parties’ delegation. What could be more unfortunate than the reasons for the improper attitude manifested by the delegation to a benefactor than to say,” they were not aware of the actual facts at that time”; when the representatives of Integrated Chital Development Program (ICDP) and Chitral
Community Development Network (CCDN) met the Leader and members of the delegation. Wisdom, that never prevailed during the discourse, demanded full information about the modus operandi of THRIVES/ CIADP and getting the latest up-date of the work done by the Program.

The nature and magnitude of the threat voiced by the delegation at a time when the General Law and Order situation around Chital is not encouraging, has forced the concerned echelons in CIADP/ THRIVES as well as the Norwegian Embassy rethink its Program; a natural reaction.

The ultimate sufferer is the poverty stricken and marginalized common man not the political opportunists. What is feared most is the Big Question? Will any International Donor Agency or State venture to work in an area where the so-called political elite are devoid of positive approach to development? Common sense would say NO. It is time the political elite stop fuzzy thinking and wait for the fullness of time. ICDP deplores, condemns and rejects the opinion of those in the delegation and hopes CIADP/THRIVES would not succumb to the unsupported voice of a few individuals.

Maj (R) Ahmad Saeed
Chitral