CHITRAL: The grand alliance of all political parties, civil society organisations, trade unions and the bar association have launched a protest movement against the outsourcing of Upper Chitral’s only Category-D government hospital.
Announcing the commencement of sit-in in Booni, the headquarters of Upper Chitral, the leaders Asadur Rehman, Prince Sultan, Amjad Khan, Zakir Muhammad Zakhmi, Arifullah and others said that the sit-in would continue till the controversial decision of outsourcing was rescinded.
They categorically rejected the government’s decision to outsource the hospital’s management services and vowed to oppose it tooth and nail by mobilising the public against the move.
They recalled that when the outsourcing of the hospital was initially proposed several years ago, it faced unanimous opposition from all political parties, civil society groups and representative bodies. “At the time, these stakeholders formally conveyed their reservations to the provincial government, the health department and the local administration through joint resolutions and multi-party conferences”.
They regretted that in total disregard of the opposition of the people, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation went ahead with outsourcing and had recently issued a offer letter to a Shangla-based organisation.
The grand alliance leaders regretted that the people of this far-flung and poverty-stricken district had long been demanding the upgradation of the only public-sector healthcare facility in Upper Chitral to a district headquarters hospital. However, to their utter disappointment, the government had instead decided to privatise its management.
They said that, amid rising unemployment and abject poverty in the area, the people of Upper Chitral could not afford the high charges likely to be imposed under private management of the hospital.
They warned that if the offer letter was not withdrawn, the scope of their agitation would be widened into a full-scale public resistance movement across the district.
Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026
