CHITRAL: Member of the National Assembly from Chitral Shahzada Iftikharuddin has said that 100 per cent area of the district would get mobile phone coverage by the end of 2015 as work on the project will begin next month.

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, he said that hardly 18 per cent area of the district was covered by mobile or fixed telephone line, which was the main reason of its backwardness.

Mr Iftikharuddin said that the Universal Service Fund would provide money for the project. “I had requested the prime minister to order provision of mobile services to the whole of the district,” he added.

The lawmaker said that tenders had been invited for the erection of mobile phone towers in the length of breadth of Chitral for which three mobile companies, including Mobilink, Telenor and Warid, had prequalified. He said that the tenders were being opened on October 15

He said that the successful bidder would be duty bound to complete the project by the end of 2015.

Mr Iftikharuddin, who is member of the All Pakistan Muslim League of former military ruler Gen retired Pervez Musharraf, said that the remote valleys of Baroghil, Arandu Gol, Rech, Terich, Melp and Oveer would get the facility of mobile phone.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2014