KP Assembly calls for declaring province as war-affected: relief package for socio-economic uplift demanded

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday unanimously called for declaring the province as war-affected and announcement of a special relief package for socio-economic uplift of the province. The resolution was tabled by PPP legislator from district Chitral, Syed Sardar Hussain, who said that the province has remained the victim of terrorism for last several years. He said that the terrorism has affected all spheres of life and sectors in the province.
He said that the terrorism had played havoc with the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and unemployment had been multiplied, forcing the people to live below the poverty line.
Therefore, he through the resolution, asked the provincial government to demand of the federal government to declare Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as war-affected keeping in view the situation of the province and not only announce a special relief package for brining improvement in its socio-economic conditions, but also divert maximum share from international assistance to it.
The resolution also called for initiating special and immediate steps for the rehabilitation of the terrorism affected dilapidated infrastructure and utilisation of the natural resources of the province for this purpose. Furthermore, the resolution also called for taking serious steps for provision of the basic amenities of life. The resolution was also supported by the provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering, Shah Farman and when the Speaker, Asad Qaiser put to vote, the house adopted it unanimously.
Through four other unanimously passed resolution, the KPK Assembly demanded payment to the owners of land acquired for Shah Maqsood Interchange of Hazara Expressway at Haripur, starting of flights from Saidu Sharif Airport, Swat to Islamabad and Peshawar, devolution of Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) from federal government to KPK and allowing provincial departments for procurement of electric equipment from the recognised firms of Wapda to save the wastage of the public exchequer and extend the benefits of the provincial government initiated projects to the general public.