NOWSHERA (APP): Veteran politician, eminent writer, renowned Pastho poet and former President of ANP, Ajaml Khattak was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Akora Khattak in Nowshera district on Monday afternoon. The funeral prayer of the ANP leader was attended by thousands of his well-wishers from across the country and Afghanistan to pay homage to political and intellectual services of the legendary poet. Khattak breathed his lost due to long protected illness at his residence late last night. He was 85. Born at Akora Khattak Nowshera district on September 15, 1925, Khattak throughout of his life had struggled for democratic norms. During his long political career, he was elected as a member of NWFP Provincial Assembly and served as a Provincial Minister in the cabinet of Mufti Mehmood’s NAP-JUI government in 1972. He also remained in exile for several years while fighting against dictatorship. He ended his exile in 1989 after the Awami National Party(ANP), the successor of the NAP, entered into an electoral alliance with Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-led Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI). In the general elections of October 1990, Ajmal Khattak was elected from his home district of Nowshera to the National Assembly. In the 1993 general elections, Ajmal Khattak lost his reelection bid in Nowshera to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Major General Naseerullah Babar. As a leading critic of the PPP, it was important for the ANP-IJI alliance to have Ajmal Khattak in parliament, and he was therefore nominated to the Senate in March, 1994. His two terms as President of the ANP were noted primarily for the close alliance with former opponents, the Muslim League, after the alliance collapsed in January 1998 over the renaming of the province of NWFP to Pakthunkhwa and Ajmal Khattak role in leading the ANP briefly into joining an alliance known as PONM. The decision to join PONM was made despite strong pressure from party critics who preferred the ANP to ally themselves with Pakistan Peoples Party. Eventually, Khattak succumbed to party pressure and the Awami National Party left PONM by joining the Grand Democratic Alliance which included the Pakistan Peoples Party. He was also the organizer and stage secretary at the United Democratic Front rally held at historic Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on March 23, 1973, when shots were fired at the UDF leaders, including Khan Abdul Wali Khan. He also authored 13 books in Pushto and Urdu including a History of Pushto Literature (in Urdu) ‘Pakistan Main Qaumi Jamhoori Tehrikin, Da Ghirat Chagha, Batoor, Gul auo Perhar, Guloona auo Takaloona, Jalawatan ki Shairee, Pukhtana Shora and Da Wakht Chagha. As a writer he served as editor of various Newspapers and periodicals, including Anjam, Shahbaz, Adal and Rahber as well as script writer for Radio Pakistan.

Despite violence and militancy that shattered the provincial economy, the marble sector registered phenomenal growth over the last three years as its exports rose to $38.5 million from $26 million annually.

This phenomenal growth has forced the provincial government to inaugurate a marble city for the settled districts of the province in Risalpur Industrial Estate Nowshera on January 1, while work on a similar city for the tribal areas is in progress in Michi in the Mohmand tribal agency.

The NWFP is the only province where over 1,500 registered marble factories are functioning at about 17 clusters providing jobs to around 50,000 workers.

The marble production in the Fata stands at 257,705 tonnes while in Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) it reached the figure of 224,829 tonnes. Buner marble cluster is the biggest one with its 475 factories and quarries that also went through tough days of militancy and insurgence a year ago. But after a short break it has resumed functioning in the Pata of the Malakand division.

While clusters in other settled districts include the Mardan Industrial Estate where 63 factories are running; Nowshera Industrial Estate 35 factories; Jehangira 112 chips and marble factories; Kairabad cluster 35 factories and Hayatabad Industrial Estate where about 35 are producing quality marble.

In Mohmand and Khyber tribal agencies the marble clusters are playing a big role in boosting the economy of the province. Similarly mining sites in Buner, Ziarat in Mohmand Agency, Gumbadai in Khyber Agency, and Koi in Bajaur are dubbed as best marble in the world.

According to Shahid-ur-Rehman, President of the All Pakistan Marble Association, the marble sector has been contributing a lot to the national economy for the last fifteen years, but the government for the first time started to pay heed to the sector and embarked upon a plan to set up marble cities in the province and tribal areas. Risalpur marble city is one such facility where 119 plots were allotted for marble units through a draw on January 1. The plots are non-transferable till the establishment of the units to ensure utilization of the same for the purpose these were allotted for.

The marble city for the tribal areas is being set up in Michni area of the Mohmand Agency on an area of about 300 acres opposite Warsak Dam. Land has already been acquired for the city and the entire required planning has been completed. Work on the grid station has been initiated and 75 per cent work on the approach road has been completed, according to Shahid.

He said they pay about Rs70 million as annual royalty to the land owners besides two hundred thousand rupees daily to the political agents of Mohmand, Khyber and Bajaur agencies as welfare tax.

He said the marble export is fetching about 38.5 million dollar and it could be raised beyond $40 million if the sector is provided official patronage in terms of provision of machinery and other facilities.
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