Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced a Rs200 billion special development package for Hazara Division, with Rs50 billion earmarked for tourism-related projects, as he chaired a key consultative meeting of parliamentarians from the region at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.
The meeting discussed in detail the preparation of the upcoming Annual Development Programme (ADP), with lawmakers presenting proposals for inclusion in the next fiscal year’s development portfolio.
Participants urged the federal government to dualise the Haripur–Mansehra GT Road, currently managed by the National Highway Authority. The chief minister said the provincial government would also provide financial assistance for the expansion to facilitate smoother and safer travel for the public.
Directing lawmakers to hold a separate consultative session for finalising scheme proposals under the special package, the chief minister said the upcoming ADP would be distinct from previous years, focusing on large-scale and public-centric projects. Timely completion of ongoing schemes would remain a top priority to ensure early public benefit, he added.
He further announced that a notification would be issued to grant district status to Allai, terming it a longstanding demand of the area’s residents.
The chief minister said PC-1 documents of development schemes would be prepared before finalising the ADP and stressed that backward districts would receive special attention in resource allocation.
The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and members of the National and Provincial Assemblies elected from Hazara Division.
Referring to the vision of the founding leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the provincial leadership reiterated that substantial investment would be made in the health and education sectors to ensure provision of basic services to the people.
