PESHAWAR, Aug 14: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has planned to send a team to Islamabad after Eidul Fitr for apprising the relevant federal government authorities of its energy crisis and getting it resolved without delay.

Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti told reporters on Tuesday during an Independence Day function at Malik Saad Khan Police Lines here that energy crisis in the province was deepening but was hopeful that the centre would help the province overcome it.“I’m sure that the matter will be resolved amicably,” he said.

The chief minister refused to comment on the reports of imminent military operation against militants in North Waziristan and said discussion in this respect would be based on presumptions.

He said the province and security forces should not be seen separately and that the army was present in the province at the government’s request.

Mr Hoti said the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa areas were controlled first by Frontier Corps and then by Army 19 Division for restoration of peace. He added that security forces successfully countered terrorists.

The chief minister congratulated the nation on Independence Day and said the people should remember those, who helped them win independence. He said terrorism was not only the problem of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the people of other parts of the country, too, were adversely affected by it.

Mr Hoti said the people bravely confronted terrorism and would continue doing so until its elimination.

Also in the day, the chief minister inaugurated the one-kilometre Arbab Sikandar Khan Shaheed flyover on GT Road in Peshawar.

Senior provincial minister Bashir Bilour, provincial ministers Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Zahir Shah, MPAs and senior officials were also present on the occasion.

According to Peshawar Development Authority director general Qazi Laiq, who was also in attendance, the flyover will help ease traffic rush on GT Road to the relief of motorists and motorcyclists.

He told Dawn that the flyover had been built four months ahead of schedule at the cost Rs870 million. Mr Laiq said the flyover had three lanes and was 13.75 metres wide.

He said according to a PDA survey done ahead of the construction of the flyover, 300,000 cars passed through Gulbahar Chowk a day, but after the flyover was in place, the number would reduce tangibly.

He said under the flyover, a green belt would be developed and work on it had already begun.

The PDA chief said work on Mufti Mehmood Flyover, whoch would link Shershah Sori Road with Bacha Khan Chowk in the city, was in full swing.

“Construction of Mufti Mehmood Flyover began last year and will be completed next year at the cost of around Rs1.47 billion,” he said.