MANSEHRA: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yusuf on Tuesday said the government had approved Rs8 billion for development schemes in the far-flung parts of the Mansehra.

He stated this while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a Nadra office in Jabori area here.

Mr Yusuf said people had to travel to Mansehra and other parts of the district to obtain CNICs and other documents provided by Nadra. “This office will serve people from Jabori to the upper parts of Siren Valley,” he said.

The minister said that despite claims of progress in the education sector, the provincial government had not delivered practical results in Mansehra and other parts of the Hazara division. “Successive governments did not release development funds for Hazara University, but the federal government has now released Rs4 billion for its development projects,” he added.

Mr Yusuf said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved Rs8 billion for roads, natural gas supply, electricity, and other development schemes in the Siren Valley. “Mr Sharif has also approved an expressway to connect Siren Valley with Kaghan Valley, and the feasibility report for the project is in its final stages,” Mr Yusuf said.

He added that the mega road project would not only promote tourism in both the valleys but also create employment opportunities.

JIRGA: A jirga attended by clerics and tribesmen from five major tribes in Torghar has decided to eliminate practices contrary to Islamic injunctions and contributing to poverty and social inequality in the district.

“The practice of giving dowry beyond the limits prescribed in Islam has become a social stigma. It is a form of overspending that has been depriving many men and women of marriage. This forum will ensure that no one violates these limits,” Maulana Matiullah Rehman, a participant of the jirga, told the gathering held in Judbah, the district headquarters of Torghar, on Tuesday.

He said the jirga would promote Islamic values through awareness and the social boycott of those who violated the agreed norms.

The jirga also formed level committees to curb the menace of narcotics and prevent young people from falling into the hands of drug peddlers.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026