Abstract
The Pakistanis in general and residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular are worried about the situation that has developed in Swat and other parts of Malakand division over the past few months. The lives, honour and properties of the inhabitants remained at risk and the innocent people of this region have turned refugees in their own homeland. The valley is now blazing; its educational and health centers blasted, its tourism and economy destroyed and its routes are no more safe for traveling. Swat was claimed to be a welfare state prior to its merger in1969. The State was famous for its prosperity and good governance. The literacy rate was much higher and health facilities far better than other parts of Pakistan. The driving force behind the success was obviously the devotion and efficiency of the rulers.This presentation draws upon a research report completed recently at IIIE, the International Islamic University Islamabad on the Fiscal System of the former State of Swat. A general public survey was conducted in three districts (Swat, Buner and Shangla) during early 2008 by approaching the common people and those who remained in the administration of the system some forty years back. Efforts were made to retrieve the old official record besides interviewing the prominent personalities. The present study gives an outline of the fiscal system and its nexus with the social sector development in Swat. The study focuses on the factors responsible for social security and alleviation of abject poverty, which in turn led to a general confidence of masses on the system, despite autocracy in the State
Dr. Hafiz M. Yasin, . (2009) Social Welfare Program in the Former State of Swat (The Paradise Lost), The Dialogue, Volume 4, Issue 3.
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