Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approves construction of Swat Expressway

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided construction of Swat Expressway to provide fast communication facilities to the militancy and floods affected people Malakand Division, Environment Minister, Wajid Ali Khan said on Tuesday. "The government has approved construction of Swat Expressway and would be connected with Peshawar-Islamabad (M-I) to make Malakand Division an economic hub," he told APP.
The expressway would be constructed up to Chakdara Malakand as people of Malakand Agency, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Chitral, Shangla and Buner districts would be largely benefited from this mega project, he maintained. "Work on the gigantic project would start soon as the paper work has been completed in this regard," he remarked.
Wajid Khan said repair and reconstruction of the national highway leading to Swat has been handed over to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), adding all the highways would be constructed and repaired in line with international standard and modern scientific methods to make it durable and life long.
The Environment Minister said the government was working on an ambition plan to rebuild the flood and militancy affected infrastructure of Malakand Division in diversified fields and assistance of donor agencies would highly be appreciated. To address the inherited problems of people of Malakand Division especially of Swat, the Minister said special focus is being given on education, health, communication, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism sectors. Under the plan, Rs 800 million for construction of roads and Rs 25million for re-building of bridges have been sanctioned by the government for Malakand and Swat.
The two and half years bloody cycle of violence and the recent flash floods in Swat had badly affected roads and bridges and its early reconstruction was the top priority of the present regime for which all resources would be utilised. "Work on reconstruction of roads and bridges in Malakand and Swat would start in two-months and the government was giving final touches for the groundbreaking ceremony," Wajid Khan remarked.Likewise, reconstruction work on Chakdhara-Kanju-Madayun-Kalam roads would start soon that would help provide better communication facilities to Swaties to explore new markets for their products.
The trade and business activities would be encouraged in Swat for revival economy of poor people hit by severe floods, militancy and terrorism, adding the government did not believe on hallow slogans instead committed to address peoples' problems at their door steps. "Some opportunist politicians, who are relying on hallow slogans and political gimmick, came out again to deceive people on petty issues and people are politically matured to reject their negative policies in the upcoming Local Bodies elections." These opportunist politicians change themselves like weather and have no agenda to address masses' issues.