BATKHELA/SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said on Thursday that they would launch a protest movement against corruption of rulers on September 3 in Lahore.

Addressing a public gathering at Hanif Khan Sports Complex Thana, Malakand, he said that they would also move Supreme Court next week against corruption of rulers.

Earlier, PTI chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak laid foundation stone of Swat Motorway in Chakdara by unveiling the plaque. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq, provincial ministers and MNAs were present on the occasion.

A large number of people belonging to different districts of Malakand division also attended the gathering.

The PTI chief said that motorways in Punjab were constructed to get kickbacks, which were then invested in offshore companies. He said that Swat Motorway would have cost Rs45 billion if it was built in Punjab. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was spending Rs35 billion on the project.

Mr Khan said that they introduced a local government system in the province wherein representatives were getting 30 per cent of development funds.

Imran inaugurates work on Swat Motorway in Chakdara

The PTI chief said that under Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation Programme, provincial government planted over 640 million saplings across the province.

In Swabi, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Thursday that Swat Motorway would herald an era of economic prosperity because it would attract foreign investors to various areas that were neglected by successive governments in past.

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of the project, Mr Khattak said that the scheme would be executed by Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) within 18 months.

The total length of Swat Motorway will be 81 kilometres. It will pass through Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Malakand, linking all the militancy-hit areas with Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway at Captain Karnal Sher Khan (Shaheed) Interchange. The total distance of 81 kilometres could be covered within 45 minutes after completion of the project.

“The Swat Motorway will consist of two tunnels in Palai and Ala Dhand areas and six interchanges, which will be built at Duobian, Ismaila, Bakhshali, Katlang, Palai and Chakdara,” said the chief minister. He added that about 40 cities of the region would benefit from the project.

“Many regions, including Chitral, Kohistan and other far-flung areas would benefit from Swat Motorway,” said Mr Khattak. He said that the motorway would boost tourism and several tourists from developed and developing countries would be able to visit easily Swat and other picturesque areas.

The chief minister said that the motorway would help in boosting economic and trade activities in those areas. It would also save the precious time of people, he added.

Addressing on the occasion, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was full of natural resources that could resolve financial problems of the province if exploited in a better manner.

“The available minerals resources and water channels should be brought in use as soon as possible by the government. The construction of Swat Motorway is a step in this direction,” he said.

The JI chief said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could become financially strong with the exploitation of natural resources. He said that consumers used thermal or coal electricity power that cost Rs29 per unit but hydel power cost only Rs2.

“There is a big difference in charging power consumers. The provincial government can not only meet the power needs of the people but can also generate cheap electricity,” he added.

The JI leader said that provincial government could construct several dams to meet its increasing electricity requirements.

“If provincial government brings in use the water resources we will not only easily fulfil the electricity requirements of the consumers and industry in the province but will also generate surplus electricity,” said Sirajul Haq.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Apeaker Asad Qaisar, Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, Adviser to Chief Minister Akbar Ayub, Minister for Education Atif Khan, and various other leaders and workers of the ruling parties were also present at the inaugural ceremony.

Earlier, FWO Director General Mohammad Afzal briefed the chief minister about the project.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2016