Mehmood Khan, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has given his approval for the establishment of the Shangla Development Authority (SDA), which will help the scenic area expand its tourism industry and get rid of its poverty.
Shaukat Yousafzai, the provincial minister for labour and parliamentary affairs, met with the chief minister on Saturday to discuss Shangla district’s potential as a tourist destination if it is developed along contemporary lines and with the appropriate care.
He claimed that the citizens of the area suffered as a result of previous governments’ neglect, which prevented it from growing and prospering. 70% of the district’s youth are currently obliged to work in coal mines due to a lack of employment opportunities; this is a dangerous and low-paying industry in Pakistan where fatal accidents frequently occur in pits.
Yousafzai asked the chief minister to create the SDA in order to bring the district up to par with the province’s developed districts and to enable tourism development there. CM Khan agreed to the authority’s creation and requested an immediate report from the pertinent officials.
Yousafzai claimed in his statement that, for the first time since Pakistan’s founding, the chief minister had spared no effort in advancing the Shangla district.
According to him, significant developments in this regard include the founding of Shangla University, funding for paved roads and clean drinking water, approval of Rescue 1122, the upgrading of dozens of schools, Basham THQ Hospital, Olander Basic Health Unit (BHU), upgrading of Alpuri District Headquarters Hospital, Kana Degree College, and the recent founding of Shangla Development Authority.
Yousafzai stated that the goal of the PTI government in the province is to provide services to the people of Shangla, respectable employment, and the best infrastructure. He claimed that the current provincial administration is working to develop all of the underdeveloped areas.
Yousafzai pointed out that the province is facing a difficult task rehabilitating the flood victims, and even at this time of need, the federal “imported” government is more interested in plotting against the province than offering assistance.
Yousufzai claimed that since the Shehbaz government took office, the province has not been receiving its due; all payments have been halted, which is making the province’s financial problems worse; yet, in spite of this, CM Khan has pledged to improve the Shangla district.
According to Yousafzai, SDA is a wonderful gift for the people of Shangla and will open up new avenues for growth. He observed that the so-called politicians in Shangla had become active again as elections were nearing, but now the politics of ‘excavators and plastic pipes’ will not work anymore as people were aware of these so-called development projects being used as a political tool.
