PESHAWAR
Local elders from Orakzai District have strongly demanded the immediate transfer of all district and administrative offices from Hangu to Orakzai, stating that despite repeated notifications over the past 50 years, the issue remains unresolved.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, Orakzai leader Miraj Khalid along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Assembly Minister for Human Rights Nasir Ali and Sohail Abbas, said that Orakzai, which received agency status in 1973 and was later declared a settled district, is still deprived of basic facilities and administrative offices.
They said that three notifications have already been issued by successive Chief Secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to transfer the district offices to Orakzai, but these directives have not been implemented. “Even after 50 years, the administrative offices of Upper and Lower Orakzai are still located in Hangu,” Miraj Khalid stated.
Nasir Ali said that the district has a population of approximately 800,000, yet residents are forced to travel to Hangu even for a single official signature. He added that the majority of the population is poor and cannot afford repeated travel for basic administrative matters.
The speakers also criticized the elected members of the National and Provincial Assemblies, stating that those in power are acting as silent spectators and are indifferent to the suffering of the people.
Miraj Khalid said that the people of Orakzai have always remained loyal to Pakistan and were among the first to confront terrorism. “We defended the national flag during the worst days of terrorism, but today we are being treated unfairly,” he said.
The elders demanded that all district offices, including the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Education Department, Health Department, and other administrative departments be shifted from Hangu to Orakzai by January 7, 2026, as per the officialr notifications already issued by the Chief Secretary.
They warned that if the government fails to implement this single-point demand, they will be forced to launch a strong protest movement.
After the press conference, the participants also staged a protest demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club, strongly criticizing both the federal and provincial governments for their negligence.
