Chitral Times Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has announced establishment of Media Colony for journalists in the proposed Peshawar Model Town, one time special grant of Rs. 20 million for Peshawar Press Club (PPC) and cent percent increase in the seed money of Journalist Welfare Endowment Fund. The chief minister has also directed the concerned authorities for necessary steps for amendments in the relevant law to enhance the annual grant-in-aid of PPC and to prepare a PC-1 for the establishment of a digital studio in the press club. He made these announcements while addressing the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected cabinet of Peshawar Press Club here on Wednesday. Besides Speaker Provincial Assembly, Mushtaq Ghani, Special Assistant to CM on Information, Kamran Bangash, Secretary Information Arshad Khan, newly elected president of PPC , M.Riaz and General Secretary, Imran Bukhari, and a large number of journalists attended the ceremony. Mahmood Khan said that provincial government was fully aware of the issues faced by the journalist community adding that all possible steps would be taken to resolve those issues. He termed media as fourth pillar of the state and urged upon the journalist community to play their effective role in projecting the public welfare initiatives of the government and maintain a balance in their reporting. He stated that the present government fully believed in the freedom of media and always welcomed positive criticism from media adding that journalists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have always adhered to the principle of responsible reporting.
Touching upon the two and half years performance of his government, the chief minister said that the merger of ex-FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, completion of Bus Rapid Transit, Swat Motorway Phase-I and other mega developmental projects and extension of Sehat Card Plus to the cent percent population of the province were amongst the major achievements of the provincial government. He added that merger of Ex-FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was undoubtedly a big challenge for the provincial government which was not easy to do but the incumbent government, despite the difficult financial situation has completed the whole process of merger in an efficient manner.
Mahmood Khan said that completion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was another challenge which was completed by the present government and now it has become an iconic project of public welfare. He said that Swat Motorway Phase-I was completed and opened for vehicular traffic whereas work on the Phase II of Swat Motorway would also be started shortly adding that Rashakai Special Economic Zone was ready for inauguration and hopefully Prime Minister Imran Khan would himself perform the ground breaking of this mega project very soon. He stated that provincial government was also working on other mega developmental projects including D.I.Khan Motorway, Dir Expressway and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor adding that these mega projects on completion would help to promote mass scale trade and economic activities by integrating the different parts of the province.
Talking about various economic zones projects in the province, the chief minister stated that D.I.Khan Economic Zone, Jalozai Economic Zone and Nowshera Economic Zone extension project had already been inaugurated whereas progress on other five other economic zones in different regions of the province was underway.
The Chief Minister said that the provincial government has completed the extension of Sehat Card Plus scheme to the entire population of the province in the minimum possible time adding that this was a unique project of the provincial government through which entire population of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can get free healthcare facilities upto Rs. 1.00 million per annum. The provincial government has also decided to include all types of transplants in the scheme, he added. On the occasion, the chief minister announced nomination of late journalist Fakharuddin Syed for civil award who had died of corona last year. He also announced Rs. 2 Lakh each as medical aid for two ailing journalists of Peshawar.
