CHITRAL: A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed among Islamabad-based Hashoo Foundation (HF) and two Chitral-based organisations has called for joint efforts for community mobilisation and resource management for development of Chitral.

The local organisations included Chitral Community Development Network (CCDN) and Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

CCDN chairman Sartaj Ahmed said that the MoU would yield positive results in view of completion of Lowari tunnel exposing the area to outer world and the bright prospects of development. He also referred to the problems of rampant poverty and backwardness and the existence of marginalised community across the district.

Mr Ahmed said that the fabulous potential of hydropower generation, tourism, mines and minerals, quarrying of the marble deposit by establishing marble city were on cards in the near future and preparation of the community to rise to the occasion was yet to be made.

He said that HF was seeking empowerment of the communities by making their access to the opportunities easy and was in a better position to lend support to the Chitral-based organisations.

“The parties will jointly access the government ministries, international NGOs and donors to identify and convert opportunities into business and project proposals,” he said.

The CCDN chairman said that they would promote collaboration at relevant forums and support various interventions and ensure liaison with public-private entities for their respective functions. The MoU was signed by Sartaj Ahmed, CCCI president Wazir Khan and HF country director Aisha Khan.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2019