5, April 2005	Tuesday	25 Safar 1426

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HARIPUR, April 4: Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan has said the NWFP government has failed to solve peoples’ problems and is creating hurdles for development projects being carried out in Haripur with the support of the federal government.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of phase-1 of the Haripur Sports Complex here on Sunday. The sports complex, which would consist of hockey and football grounds and volleyball and badminton courts, would cost Rs14 million.

The minister said the federal government was utilizing its resources for the well-being of people and had approved development projects worth millions of rupees in Haripur alone.

But, he lamented, the provincial government had not spent a single penny for the well-being of people of Haripur even from the royalty of Tarbela Dam and was hell bent on keeping the people underdeveloped deliberately.

Mr Khan said the sports complex project was approved by the federal government for which the tenders had been issued and construction would be carried out by the Pak PWD.

But, he said, the provincial government, which had failed to provide basic amenities, particularly sports facilities to the youths of the area, had deployed police and tried to prevent him from inaugurating the project.

He said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would inaugurate the project on its completion within next eight months.

Commenting on the MMA-sponsored strike, he said by doing so the religious parties’ alliance had rendered no service to the religion.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed on the occasion that blocked all entry points to the sports complex. It was reported that the police force was deployed on the orders of Chief Minister Akram Durrani, who had earlier inaugurated the same stadium on the occasion of prize distribution of Jashn-i-Hazara last year and earmarked Rs8.5 million.