CHITRAL: The Chitral city got its first-ever public park as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Abid Saeed inaugurated the facility built by the district administration here on Sunday.

The park has been built in Lenik area opposite to the airport along the Chitral-Booni road.

On the occasion, the chief secretary appreciated the Chitral Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmed Warraich and his team for providing the citizens with the much-needed facility by completing it within a short span of two months.

Mr Saeed said that the park would add to the hustle and bustle of the city as the residents had hitherto no outlet to pass their pastime with their friends and families in a congenial and clean environment.

He directed the district heads of various government departments to lend all out support to the district administration in providing maximum number of facilities in the park and its beautification.

Earlier, the Chitral DC Osama Warraich said the park was adjacent to the under-construction wildlife park, where Kashmir markhor and other species of wild animals would be released after its completion.

He said the park was ideally located near the confluence of two rivers of Yarkhoon and Lotkoh while Chitral Gol National Park could be viewed as well.

Mr Warraich said there was ample space available adjacent to the park for its extension and a horse riding park was being planned to impart training to the youth as people of Chitral had a craze for the game of polo.

MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin and MPA Saleem Khan also spoke on the occasion.

In another function, the chief secretary inaugurated classes in Chitral Career Academy, which also happens to be the first of its nature in the district.

He was told on the occasion that the local students were being provided coaching to enable them to compete with other areas of the province for admission to the medical and engineering colleges.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2016