NOWSHERA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will ink agreement with the government of China about execution of different projects including hydel power generation, fast railway track and roads.

Addressing a public meeting and talking to journalists in Kotar Pan area here on Monday, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said that he would visit China to attend the meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) to review the schemes of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said that new projects would be also sanctioned in the meeting.

He said that provincial government would ink agreement for 1,200 megawatts hydel power generation, fast railway track between Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsada Mardan and Swabi districts and construction of Gilgit-Chakdara and Dir-Chitral routes with China government during the visit.

Khattak says he will attend meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee

On this occasion, Noorun Nabi Khan alias Shakar Khan and Hazrat Khan along with their friends quit PML-N and ANP and joined PTI. District nazim Liaquat Khan Khattak, MNA Dr Imran Khattak, Ishaq Gul Khattak, Gul Raiz Hakeem Khan, Razaullah, Iftikhar Safi and Hazrat Khan also addressed the gathering.

The chief minister said that Chinese experts had compiled feasibility report of the fast railway track. He said that Gilgit-Chakdara and Dir-Chitral routes would play vital role in development of the areas and provide access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Mr Khattak said that provincial government had demanded establishment of three industrial parks under CPEC. He said that 10,000-kanal land had been allocated for industrial park near Karnal Sher Interchange while establishment of industrial parks in Hattar and Dera Ismail Khan had also been planned.

The chief minister said that tender for hydel power generation schemes had been floated. He said that Asian Development Bank was also financing some hydel power generation schemes in the province.

Mr Khattak hoped that hydel power generation projects would be completed till 2018. He said that the province was rich in natural resources like gas and petroleum. That’s why foreign investors were coming to invest in the province, he added.

The chief minister said that PTI was trying to bring change by reforming system in the province. He said that provincial government introduced local government system to empower people at grassroots level and enable them to resolve their problems at local level. He said that PTI introduced a system based on merit and transparency.

Mr Khattak said that provincial government introduced a transparent mechanism for recruitment and transfer and posting. He said that 150 laws had also been enacted by the government.

Published in Dawn December 27th, 2016