CHITRAL: The German Federal Cooperation through its Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Regional Integration Programme (Patrip) Foundation will construct roads and set up trade and tourism promotion facilities in the border areas of Chitral.

A visiting delegation of Patrip Foundation was told here on Sunday by the local people that three provinces of Afghanistan were dependent on Chitral with special reference to health care facilities while roads were indispensable in the border areas for regional integration.

The team members flew to Shusht village near Baroghil where the communities identified a number of projects including link roads, irrigation channels and micro-hydro projects which can help improve the economic conditions in the areas, leading to promotion of cross-border trades, eco-tourism and cultural exchange.

The people in border areas including Yarkhun-Broghil valley, Garam Chashma, Kalash and Arandu valley sought support under the Patrip as those had tremendous potential for promoting cross- border trade and cultural exchange.

The Broghil and Kalash festivals were cited as examples for cross-border cultural exchange and tourism development potentials and the delegation was asked to intervene in diversified fields and sectors benefiting the communities.

Earlier, the delegation attended a function at district headquarters hospital where Patrip-funded burn and trauma unit building is in the final phase of completion. The facility covers not only Chitral district but also three provinces of Afghanistan including Badakhshan, Nuristan and Kunar.

The medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Noorul Islam, told the delegation that the hospital catered to the healthcare needs of Afghanistan provinces as well and registered highest number of patients than any district health facility in the province.

On this occasion, the local people also recalled the contribution of Federal Republic of Germany in the rural development of Chitral. They also mentioned that in 2011, Rs 90million funds were provided for rehabilitation of infrastructure in Chitral. The amount was spent to rebuild more than 100 damaged micro-hydel projects, roads, bridges and irrigation channels etc.

The head of Governance and Peace Development for Afghanistan-Pakistan, Jen Clausen expressed pleasure over the services being provided to Afghan nationals and said that burn and trauma unit was needed in the area for which his organisation donated funds.

He said that the aim of the delegation’s visit to Chitral was to find out potential areas for development cooperation and sectors and the areas where interventions could be initiated in connection with regional integration. The mission also visited other KfW-funded projects being implemented though AKRSP, particularly in Chitral town.

The visit of the delegation was facilitated by Aga Khan Foundation. The delegation was consisted of Olaf Zymelka head of Afgahistan-Pakistan Programme KfW, Diana Hedrich, project manager of Patrip, Marcel, consultant of Patrip, Wolfgang Mollers, KfW country director, and Shahid Nadeem, project coordinator of KfW Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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