SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf local leaders are ensuring completion of the ongoing development projects in the Swabi district before the coming general elections so they can easily woo the voters, sources in the ruling party told Dawn here on Tuesday.

They said ensuring speedy completion of the projects was vital to win maximum seats in the district.

On Feb 1, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak inaugurated construction of Bada Dam in Gadoon Amazai region. The dam is situated in NA-13, Swabi-II, a constituency from where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar’s brother, Aqibullah Khan, had won a by-election.

Gundal Dam, which is expected to be completed soon, is also situated in the same constituency.

The chief minister also laid down foundation stone of Women University Swabi at Kotha in Sept, last year, at a cost of Rs3 billion.

The university would be shifted from PK-32, Swabi-II to PK-35, Swabi-V, a constituency from where Mr Qaisar had won elections.

Since its establishment two years back, the university has been operating in a makeshift building at Gulu Dheri.

On Feb 20, the chief minister laid the foundation stone of a PAF project at Nabi village, which will comprise a college, a school, a 300-bed hospital, a technical education centre, a handicraft centre for women, a school for special children, a community centre and a park at the edge of the Indus River. About 1,000 kanal of land have been acquired for the project.

Sources said PTI chairman Imran Khan was expected to inaugurate the construction of Ulta Dam soon. This project also is also in NA-13 constituency. In addition, the Zaida-Kalabat road has been constructed and various other projects initiated and completed by the PTI government, said the sources.

The work on a gas project is continuing in NA-13 and the speaker and other PTI leaders want its completion soon.

Similarly, Shahram Khan Tarakai has also initiated and completed numerous projects in PK-32 and PK-33, the two constituencies from which he and his uncle Mohammad Ali Tarakai had won elections in 2013.

Recently, the chief minister also inaugurated a gas supply project in Kotha village. Work on a sports stadium and Topi tehsil administration building has already been completed.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018