TAXILA: Another interchange will be established on Islamabad – Peshawar motorway (M-1) soon in order to facilitate farmers in promptly supplying agricultural products to markets, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said on Monday while addressing public meetings in Hazro and Hassanabdal.

The interchange would be established near village Haroon which would facilitate not only masses of the area but also farmers — especially vegetable growers — in transporting their products to respective markets.

The PM’s aide claimed that “hidden hands” were involved in the cancellation of the New Zealand cricket team’s tour of Pakistan. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the image of Pakistan has significantly improved in the eyes of the world, especially wise decisions regarding the Afghan issue,” he said, adding the electronic voting machine (EVM) is a permanent technological solution for curbing the menace of electoral rigging and maneuvering in elections.

He said that this machine should be adopted as a transparency tool for strengthening democracy by all stakeholders, adding, corrupt elements do not want this which is why negative propaganda is being spread against it.

As many as 45 filtration plants are being installed at the cost of Rs60 million in various towns and villages of NA-55 including Attock, Hazro and Hasanabdal which will certainly control water-borne diseases, he said, addingashare from the hydel profit from Ghazi Barotha project will be now given to Attock district and gas will be supplied to 35 villages of NA-56.

Classes in Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (Attock campus) will begin this year offering admissions in BS Agriculture, BS Mathematics, BS Computer Science and BS Economics, he said, adding this university campus is being established over an area of 1,000 kanals costing approximately Rs1 billion.

This campus will be fully patronised by the government sector and will be a blessing for students from low-income families, who will be able to get admission on merit. Once operational, the university will be able to accommodate more than 30,000 students besides creating job opportunities within the campus.

Mr Aslam added that the campus will have foreign qualified PhD teaching faculty along with state-of-the-art facilities including hostels for students.

Furthermore, he announced a Rs20 million development project for village Haroon in which a filtration plant, re-carpeting of main road and other civic facilities would be provided during the current fiscal year.

Later on, inaugurated newly renovated classrooms of local boys’ schools which were completed at a cost of Rs3.3 million.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2021