MARDAN, Oct 29: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Saturday said that the government was ready to forgive those militants who wanted to give up militancy and accept writ of the government.

He expressed these views while speaking at a public meeting in Rustam area after inaugurating construction work on Khaistamir Women Degree College and the Rustam-Shahbaz Garhi Road projects.

Others who spoke on the occasion included PPP parliamentary leader Abdul Akbar Khan, ANP district general secretary Imran Mandoori and PK-29 president of ANP Gul Hameed Khan.The chief minister said that the Khaistamir Women Degree College would cost Rs180 million while the Rustam-Shahbaz Garhi road would be built with total cost of Rs700 million.

He lamented that former rulers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had deprived Mardan city of its due rights and did not start any mega project in the district, adding that they had launched several mega projects, including the Abdul Wali Khan University, Bacha Khan Medical College, eastern and western bypasses and Baizai irrigation scheme. “We have spread a network of developmental projects in different parts of Mardan as well as in other districts of the province,” he said, adding the provincial government had been using extra resources to quickly complete the developmental process.

Mr Hoti said that they had enforced Shariah in parts of Malakand Division according to the wishes of its residents, but regretted that the militant elements were still trying to challenge writ of the government.

He said that they were going to start new power projects in the province, adding he would inaugurate two power projects one each in Lawi area of Chitral and Malatan area of Swat city. He hoped that the province would get Rs16 billion from its oil and gas resources in the ongoing year to start different developmental projects for prosperity of people.

Later, the chief minister also addressed a public meeting at Naray Baja area in which the former union council nazim of Chamtar Ziarat Gul Khan Mehmood along with his family members and large number of friends joined the Awami National Party. — Correspondent