PESHAWAR, Dec 25: The USAID will soon provide one million dollars to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for improvement of gardens and parks in Peshawar city.

The announcement came during a meeting of USAID delegation led by its country director and senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour at the latter's office here on Saturday.

Mr Bilour said following the meeting that the provincial government would soon start work on improvement of different gardens in Peshawar and complete it within next four months. He said that Rs8.50 million would be provided immediately in order to start work on the plan in the district.

While appreciating the provision of funds for improvement of parks the minister said that the provincial government wanted to initiate development schemes, but it could not do so due to militancy.

He said that the problems aggravated in the region when the international community stopped supporting people of this province following the Russian forces withdrawal from Afghanistan. He expressed the hope that the international community would not repeat the mistake in future.

Mr Bilour said that the USAID had announced $15 million for development of Peshawar a year back, but the plan could not be materialised as the funds were not provided.

He said that in the new plan priority would be given to the uplift of Shahi Bagh, Jinnah Park, Wazir Bagh, Aasia Park, Korkhutree and installation of new tube-wells, fountains etc.