BAJAUR/UPPER DIR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday said the sustainable development of tribal districts was the top most priority of his government, which was making all-out efforts and utilising all available resources for the purpose.

He was addressing a jirga at the Civil Colony in Khar area of Bajaur tribal district, where tribal elders, religious leaders and PTI activists showed up in large numbers.

Ushr and Zakat minister Anwar Zeb Khan, local lawmakers, PTI assembly members from Upper Dir district, and senior officials of various departments were also present.

The chief minister said the provincial government was committed to fulfilling its all promises made with the residents of the erstwhile Fata at the time of the merger of their region with the province.

He said the provincial government on the special directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan was paying special attention to the development of tribal districts to end the sense of deprivation prevailing in the region.

Inaugurates grid station, sub-jail building in Khar, announces projects in Upper Dir

Mr Mahmood said the government had launched a record number of development projects in tribal districts that would help improve the standard of life.

He said the establishment of schools, colleges and health units, the construction of roads and the supply of drinking water had also been planned for the region.

The chief minister said the government had decided in principle to establish several markets along Pak-Afghan border in Bajaur tribal district to boost business activities.

He said those markets would be established in line with the law under the supervision of the Federal Board of Revenue.

Mr Mahmood said the government had extended the Land Acquisition Act to tribal districts to ensure reasonable payment to the residents for their land acquired for development projects.

He said though tribal districts had been exempted from all sorts of taxes for five years, he wanted that concession to be extended for five more years as the region was the most neglected and underdeveloped one in the country.

The chief minister said he would take up the matter with the prime minister ‘very soon’.

He also lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s leaders for launching rallies against the government and said the opposition leaders wanted to pressure the federal government into granting them amnesty in corruption cases.

Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the USAID-sponsored 132kv power grid station and sub-jail building in the Khar Civil Colony.

Also in the day, Mr Mahmood visited Upper Dir district and announced development projects. The visit was meant to attend a ceremony organised for PPP leader Malik Gul Ibrahim to announce the joining of the PTI.

Mr Mahmood announced the upgradation of the DHQ hospital from Category B to Category A, Rs1 billion for tourism promotion in the district, and construction of hydropower houses.

Apart from Gwaladi and Doog Dara link roads, he also announced a special package of Rs30.5 million for building new link roads across the district.

Mr Mahmood said development projects in Upper Dir district were being executed under the supervision of the local PTI lawmakers.

He said the government was striving to develop underdeveloped districts, including Dir and Kohistan. The chief minister announced that PPP MPA from PK-11,

Upper Dir, Sahibzada Sanaullah would soon join the PTI.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2020