ISLAMABAD: Ruling PML-N lawmakers from the capital on Monday deplored shortage of amenities in the rural areas and demanded the government to pay special focus to resolve issues of public including growing water scarcity.

Taking part in budget debates, MNAs Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz and Anjum Aqeel Khan said overall residents of Islamabad were facing shortage of health facilities and provision of clean drinking water.

They said rural areas of the capital city lacked infrastructure development as the Capital Development Authority had been focusing mainly on the urban areas.

MNA Khurram Nawaz said his constituents had been facing shortage of teachers in schools, adding that for a population of around one million, there was only one degree college in his constituency.

Taking part in budget debate in NA, lawmakers call on government to focus on resolving public grievances

He demanded recruitment of teachers and improvement in quality of teaching in government-run schools, besides launching infrastructure development in the rural areas.

Mr Nawaz said there was no proper drainage system in the rural areas and people faced shortage of clean drinking water. He raised alarms bells, by stating that in both Simly and Khanpur dams, which supply water to Islamabad, the water level had decreased significantly and only had water for 20.

He lamented that no focus had been given by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on construction of new dams during the last three decades or so.

“There should be a major water project in this budget for residents of Islamabad as water is a major and challenging issue,” he said, adding that water-related projects should be given priority over road infrastructure projects.

Talking about health issue, Khurram Nawaz said Islamabad had only two major hospitals – Pims and Polyclinic - which were established decades ago. He said and now there was a need for more health facilities.

He appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for ordering construction of Jinnah Medical Complex in Islamabad.

However, he said currently, there was a need for health care facilities for residents of Islamabad and concerned ministries should take steps for provision of health facilities for all residents.

The local MNA also demanded provision of gas connections to the citizens.

Earlier, MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan urged the government to recruit teachers, saying that rural schools had been facing shortage of teachers and there was a need of training for available teachers.

He demanded IT and AI labs in rural areas’ schools.

Commenting on health facilities, he said that both main hospitals were overburdened while there were around 90 basic health units and rural health centres in Islamabad, which were facing shortage of staff and equipment.

“If these facilities are upgraded then load on Pims and Polyclinic could be reduced,” he said.

Anjum Aqeel Khan said the CDA had failed to clear compensation of land affected people (those whose land had been acquired by CDA and were entitled to get compensation).

He said land compensation cases from the 1980s were still pending, which should be cleared by CDA without any further delay.

He said the prime minister while launching Jinnah Medical Complex and Daanish University had directed the CDA to clear compensation cases by paying the land affected people in accordance with market rate, but despite the directive, the CDA remained unmoved. He said that compensation of affected people of various sectors including E-12, C-3, C-14, C-15, C-16, H-16 was still pending.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2025