KP CM Afridi Unveils Rs200 Billion Development Package for Hazara Division

ISLAMABAD: (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, has announced a massive Rs200 billion special development package for Hazara Division, with Rs50 billion specifically allocated for tourism-related projects.
The announcement was made during a high-level consultative meeting of parliamentarians from Hazara Division held at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. The session focused on preparations for 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 under the jurisdiction of the National Highway Authority (NHA). The chief minister assured that the provincial government would extend financial support to facilitate the expansion, aimed at ensuring safer and smoother travel.
Directing lawmakers to convene a separate consultative session to finalise scheme proposals under the special package, the chief minister stated that the forthcoming ADP would mark a departure from previous years by prioritising large-scale, public-centric projects. He emphasized that timely completion of ongoing schemes would remain a top priority to deliver early benefits to the public.
In another significant announcement, he said a formal notification would soon be issued to grant district status to Allai, fulfilling a longstanding demand of local residents.
The chief minister further directed that PC-1 documents for development projects be prepared before finalisation of the ADP and stressed that backward districts would receive special consideration in resource allocation.
The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and members of the National and Provincial Assemblies from Hazara Division. Reiterating the vision of the founding leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the provincial leadership affirmed that significant investment would continue in the health and education sectors to strengthen public service delivery across the province.