SHANGLA: Residents of Bisham tehsil of Shangla district have demanded of the provincial government to fulfill its promise of constructing a playground to engage youths in healthy activities.

Speaking at a meeting on Sunday, they noted that construction of a playground had long been demanded by the people, but despite promises the lawmakers could not materialise the project.

Wakeel Khan, a sportsman, said on the directives of the sports department, the district administration had imposed section 4 at two places in Bisham for the purpose of constructing a sports ground, but the section was withdrawn after the local landlords approached the political leaders and the administration officials.

Azhar Khan, a local resident, said Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced a playground for Bisham during a public gathering in 2014, but he failed to materialise his promise. He said both the former and current chief minister of PTI had made commitments with the people that a playground would be established in Bisham, but to no avail. He said that the district administration had yet to acquire land for the purpose.

“Shaukat Yousafzai, the minister for information, who is from the area, should play his due role in getting a sports ground built in Bisham, so that the local youth could polish their talents,’’ Jamshid Ali Shah, a social activist, said.

Naveed Ahmad, a budding cricketer, said he had participated in district sports games in under-16 and under-19 categories, but lack of a sports ground in his hometown deprived him of the much-needed practice to groom into a competitive player to play at the national level. A committee was also constituted at the meeting tasked with holding meeting with minister for information Shaukat Yusufzai to help construct a playground in Bisham.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2020