TIMERGARA: PML-N leader Engineer Amir Muqam on Monday opened the Chakdara bridge to traffic, which was rebuilt at a cost of Rs500 million.

Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating the bridge, he said the federal government had given free hand to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government to deliver according to wishes of Pakhtuns.

The 2010 flash floods had washed away the bridge and its reconstruction was completed in 2013.

The bridge was not opened to vehicular traffic due to differences among politicians of various parties on its inauguration.

The prime minister’s advisor said work on repair of Chakdara-Timergara road would also start soon.

Mr Muqam said he had saved about Rs1 million by inaugurating the bridge without any protocol. He said that rooting out militancy, bringing economic reforms and ending unemployment in the country was his party’s agenda.

About economic development, he said the US dollar was falling down as compared to Pakistani rupee. He said price hike would also be brought under control.

About peace talks with Taliban, the PML-N leader said they wanted to end militancy through negotiations. “But the government will have no option other than to launch military offensive if talks failed,” he added.

HEALTH CENTRE WITHOUT DOCTORS: People of Maidan have demanded of the government to post doctors and technical staff to the lone rural health centre at Lal Qila to provide healthcare to more than 200,000 people.

Talking to Dawn at Lal Qila on Monday, local residents said three of the four doctors of the health centre along with a technician had recently been transferred, leaving the hospital to be run by only one doctor.

They said people of Maidan had voted Jamaat-i-Islami candidates to power in the last general elections, but they had failed to resolve their problems.

They said that so far no development project was started in the area nor schools and hospitals were provided with adequate staff and equipment.