MINGORA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan has said that Saidu Sharif airport will be reopened as tourism can’t be promoted without providing transportation facilities to the tourists.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Eye Hospital in Odigram area of Swat here on Wednesday. Former chief minister Pir Sabir Shah and local elders also attended the ceremony.

The governor said that people of Swat had passed through a difficult time few years ago. The valley had rich culture and picturesque places, which remained identity of the country.

“Hopes are there that a new Swat will emerge that, once again, would become the identity of Pakistan” Mr Khan said.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata had been facing challenges for the last one decade. He said that they wanted to introduce a health and education delivery system in Fata to mainstream tribal areas.

Vows to revive tourism in picturesque Swat valley

Briefing the governor, LRBT chief executive Najul Saqib said that there were 1.8 million blind people in the country. He added that 18 million people in the country had weak eyesight.

Mr Saqib said that LRBT started its services in December 1994 with a small mobile unit in Karachi. “Now it has hospitals across the country. We provided free health facilities to 27 million people and conducted 2.7 million eye surgeries since establishment of the institution in Pakistan,” he added.

The governor said that Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, were facing challenges because of the law and order situation and lack of balance between available resources and population.

“Our resources are limited and the ratio of population growth is higher, thus government has to face financial challenges all the times,” he added.

Mr Khan said that non-governmental organisations could play role in providing health, education and other facilities to people. He lauded LRBT for providing health facilities to people across the country.

“People of Pakistan are enthusiastic but we need to win their trust,” the governor said. He added that a large number of people in Pakistan donated money to those organisations, which they considered trustworthy.

He said that Governor’s House would grant Rs1 million to Swat office of LRBT for treatment of needy people. He added that he would take up the issue with the provincial government to assist the trust from its Zakat fund.

Talking to reporters, the governor said that peace was their need and they were taking steps for restoration of peace in the country, particularly in Fata.

To a question, he said that tourism in district Swat could not be promoted without providing transportation facilities to tourists. He said that Swat airport was closed temporary owing to unrest in the area. He said that steps would be taken to reopen it.

To another question, the governor said that reconstruction of different damaged roads in Swat would be expedited. “We want to revive tourism in Swat,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2014