Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, member of the National Assembly from Chitral, has expressed his optimism that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will soon announce a relief package of 15,000 tons of wheat for the calamity-hit district of Chitral. Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Chitrali said if the federal government failed to announce the said package for Chitral, the people of the valley would die of hunger, as 70 percent of their crops and orchards have been destroyed due to the heavy windstorm, rains and snowfall in October.
He informed newsmen that a 19-member delegation, led by him, called on the prime minister on Saturday last in which they apprised the premier about the problems being faced by the people of the valley, especially after the havoc played by the storm.
He thanked the prime minister for carefully listening to the problems and assuring them to resolve their problems. He said that the PM has sought a complete report of the destruction from the district co-ordination officer of Chitral and the chief secretary NWFP and would take steps in view of these reports.
POWER SUPPLY: "We also demanded of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to allocate a fund amounting to Rs 9 million for electricity supply projects to three villages of the district, including Bioldi, Keeso and Jinjari Koh.
He said: "I have already allocated Rs 3 million from my discretionary fund for the said projects, but as the estimated cost of the projects is about 120 million therefor, we asked the PM to give the rest of money for them so that the projects could be completed."
Regarding the Lowari Rail Tunnel, Maulana Chitral said, "the prime minister told us that work on the project would be started in May next," adding that the project would not only provide a communication root to the people of Chitral, but also create job opportunities for the Chitralis.
Flanked by MPAs, Maulana Jahangir Khan and Maulana Abdur Rahman, Maulana Chitral also thanked the PM for announcing Wireless Loaf System for Chitral and his promise to visit the valley in the next spring.
About the visit of the provincial Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to Chitral, the MNA said that Durrani was scheduled to visit the area on November 29, but due to bad weather he had to cancel his trip. "Now he has promised to visit the valley on December 6," he added.
He maintained that the people of Chitral would warmly welcome Durrani and preparation for the visit had already been completed. "During his visit we would demand of the CM to announce package for the houses ruined during the storm and announce Rs 0.1 million compensation each for those killed in accidents due to the storm in the valley, he said and added that "we would also ask the CM to upgrade the Chitral Degree College to post-graduate level."
The MNA strongly criticised the proposal of establishment of customs check-post in Chitral, saying that the people of the area would never let anyone to establish any such post in the district.
He said the establishment of customs posts in Chitral would promote smuggling instead of controlling it.