CHITRAL: Elders from the Kalash valleys of Rumbur and Bumburet have accused the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), and Ayun Valley Development Programme (AVDP) of misusing donor-funded development grants.
Speaking at a press conference at the Chitral Press Club, minority councilor Noor Shali and community elders Sarawat Shah, Habib Noor, Buzurg Ahmed, and others voiced frustration over what they termed a “systematic disregard” for local involvement.
They claimed that instead of forming supervisory and audit committees including community members, the organisations are outsourcing construction work to contractors through tenders, leading to significant fund leakage through contractor profits.
The elders emphasized that funds raised in the name of poverty alleviation in the Kalash valleys should be used directly through local communities, not middlemen.
“These projects are meant for our development, but we are being sidelined in decisions that directly impact us,” one elder remarked.
They further alleged that when locals question poor-quality work, project engineers respond with hostility rather than accountability. The elders warned that they would no longer tolerate the exploitation of their name and community under the guise of development.
Organisations deny allegations, cite local involvement
In response, the three organisations categorically rejected the accusations, calling them the result of misinformation and a lack of understanding.
Wali Muhammad Yaftali, Regional Programme Manager (RPM) of AKAH, stated that his organisation had built 36 classrooms across seven schools in the Kalash valleys, with all funds spent in collaboration with local communities.
Sajjad Hussain Shah, RPM of AKRSP, said that the renovation of two major irrigation channels in Bumburet had been completed with full community participation.
“We have always ensured transparency and local involvement at every stage,” he said.
Javed Ahmed, manager of AVDP, emphasized that their board of directors is elected directly from the villages they serve, including the three Kalash valleys and Ayun. “There is no question of community exclusion; our structure is community-led by design,” he asserted.
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