PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan has approved the establishment of Shangla Development Authority to remove backwardness in the district through uplifting its tourism sector.

The decision was taken during a meeting between Mahmood Khan and minister for labour and parliamentary affairs Shaukat Yousafzai, said an official statement issued here on Sunday.

Mahmood Khan said Shangla was a beautiful place, but the past governments failed to tap its tourism potential. He said due to lack of employment opportunities, 70 per cent of the local youth were forced to work in coal mines across the country. On the occasion, Mr Yousafzai requested the chief minister to approve a development authority for the district to bring it on a par with the developed areas of the province.

The chief minister approved the request, and directed that a summary should be immediately prepared in that regard.

Mr Yousafzai said approval of a development body was a big gift for the people of Shangla. He said establishment of University of Shangla, pavement of roads, provision of clean drinking water, approval of Rescue 1122 service, upgradation of dozens of schools, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Bisham, basic health unit, Olander, the District Headquarters Hospital, Alpuri, and Kana degree college were some of important projects initiated by the provincial government.

The minister said providing employment to youth and creating the best infrastructure in Shangla was his mission. He said the provincial government was trying to develop all the backward areas equally.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2022