BATTAGRAM: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader retired Captain Mohammad Safdar has promised to construct roads and basic health units in the upper parts of the district if his party is voted to power in the upcoming elections.

He claimed that PML-N was the only option to develop backward districts that were deprived of basic facilities. During his two-day visit to the district, he held corner meeting in the mountainous parts of Allai valley.

Capt Safdar took part in the election campaign of his party candidates for NA-13 and PK-34 Sardar Moin and Adil Nawaz Khan, respectively. He said that candidates of their rival party ruled the district and tehsil but they did not develop infrastructure. He said that Allai tehsil main road and link roads were in a dilapidated condition.

He promised to construct Thakot to Banna and Banna to Besham roads if his party was voted power in the upcoming elections. He said that former MNA and MPAs of the district remained in government but they failed to provide health, education, development and other facilities to their voters.

Capt Safdar said that PML-N would establish four new basic health units in PK-34 if it was voted to power. He also promised to construct a 200-bed hospital in Allai. He said that former federal minister Alamzeb Khan late, a friend of PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, in late 90s provided electricity to Allai but four union councils were still without power.

He said that PML-N, after coming to power, would establish a 132-KV grid station in Allai to provide electricity to locals at subsidised rate. He claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was governed by PTI for 10 years, earlier ANP and MMA ruled it for five years each and elected representatives of the area were part of those governments, but no one even tried to change fate of locals.

Adil Nawaz Khan, the son of former federal minister Alamzeb Khan, said during the campaign that former elected members kept their district backward intentionally. “They do not want to improve living standard of people,” he alleged.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2024