PESHAWAR: A Jirga on Tuesday banned the women from visiting the free flour distribution points in Khyber district.
A local Jirga, led by Shalobar Qaumi Council Chairman Syed Shah Afridi, said that only men would be allowed to visit the points to get the free flour.
The decision came after at least five people lost their lives and dozens others sustained injuries in the stampede caused during the free flour queues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Jirga announced the decision after it viewed the treatment of women at the free flour distribution points as a great dishonour. All the women were asked to hand over their ID cards to their men who would visit the points and get the free flour.
It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of women thronged the free flour distribution points to avail the facility. However, only women registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) are eligible to get the benefit from this scheme.
However, some of the women who could not get the free flour bags staged a protest demonstration and blocked the Pak-Afghan Highway.
Separately, KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry directed all the deputy commissioners to make separate counters and arrangements for disabled people, senior citizens and women so that they could get the free flour without any hurdle.
Nadeem said that establishment of new free flour distribution centers would help the local people to get the Ramadan package with ease.
The chief secretary said he had been regularly visiting the distribution points. He also visited PDA Hazar Khawani Park and Hayatabad Sports Complex to review arrangements.
The top babu urged the citizens to cooperate with the local administration and avoid mismanagement and stampede in case of any failure in the system. The chief secretary ordered the officers to monitor flour distribution process.
