PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Wednesday emphasised innovation and environmental sustainability and ordered the relevant departments to explore the feasibility of establishing an electric bike and scooter manufacturing industry in the province.

During a high-level meeting of the planning and development department here, the chief minister also ordered a structured assessment of heli-tourism to unlock high-value tourism potential, particularly in remote and scenic regions, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

The meeting was called to review initiatives proposed for the Annual Development Programme, 2026-27, in social welfare, sports, tourism, relief and transport sectors.

The participants undertook a comprehensive review of new project proposals aimed at accelerating inclusive and sustainable development across the province.

Says equitable distribution of development dividends across province govt’s core responsibility

“Tourism development proposals focused on the identification of new destinations, conservation of archaeological heritage, restoration of historic railway stations and promotion of adventure tourism,” the statement read.

The CM said that equitable distribution of development dividends across all regions of the province remained a core responsibility of the government, adding that forthcoming ADP represented a strategic opportunity to drive socio-economic transformation.

He directed all departments to finalise proposals in line with ground realities, public needs and long-term sustainability objectives.

Mr Afridi said that functional rescue stations should be ensured at the tehsil level to strengthen emergency response capacity and improve service delivery in disaster and crisis situations.

The meeting discussed the establishment of new rescue stations and the expansion of emergency services to include specialised mine rescue operations in the relevant districts.

Officials told the forum that work on the province’s Socio Economic Registry was progressing.

The CM said that a robust and digitised registry was critical for evidence based policymaking, targeted subsidies and transparent delivery of social protection programmes. He issued directions for the completion of the Socio Economic Registry by December.

The meeting also discussed proposals in the social welfare sector including for the expansion of Zamung Kor centres, establishment of new schools for children with hearing and speech impairments, and upgradation of facilities.

Additional initiatives include strengthening Darul Aman institutions, establishment of new facilities and upgrading artificial limb workshops into advanced bionic prosthetics centres.

The participants considered proposals for stipends and scholarships for children with special needs, along with the development of dedicated educational complexes, according to the official statement.

It added that several proposals were shared the sports sector as well including proposals for the establishment of tehsil-level grounds in Hazara and Malakand divisions, construction of sports complexes in Battagram and Upper Dir, and provision of indoor sports facilities for women, alongside establishment of Jawan Markaz for youth.

The meeting also reviewed a targeted mobility initiative for working women and female students through the provision of electric scooters.

It discussed the transport sector where key proposals include the Kohat-Kharlachi rail service, introduction of suburban rail services, procurement of double-decker electric buses for tourism and expansion of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit fleet with additional electric buses.

Besides, the participants also examined plans to extend the Peshawar BRT system to Charsadda, Nowshera and Khyber.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2026