By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: In the session of zilla council Chitral, it was demanded of the government to hold the Shandur festival through the district government to make it attractive for the tourists as well as the local fans of polo while during the past couples of years, the festival is losing its significance resulting in the low turnout of watchers.
Presided by its convener Maulana Abdul Shakoor here on Tuesday, the house passed a resolution unanimously regarding the arrangements of Shandur festival after the members contended that the festival had been arranged by the district government since 1980s successfully as they were well conversant with the culture and traditions of the area.
District Nazim Maghfirat Shah came hard on the provincial government and said that the local government system put in place by it was an eye-wash in the name of devolution of power as in practice, the district government is fully divested of its financial powers and administrative authority.
He said that due to the faulty system, there is a tussle between the district government and the officers of district administration and police regarding the ambit of powers and authority while the ultimate sufferer is the people whose issues remained unresolved.
He lamented that the government was withholding the funds meant for the rehabilitation of infrastructures affected by the flash flood disaster of 2015 without any reason and one can easily gauge the magnitude of difficulty faced by the people.
“Those in the provincial government will have to pay a high price of it in the forthcoming general elections as the elected representatives of local bodies are highly dejected of it and they will vote against them”, said the highly annoyed head of the district government.
The district nazim said that despite its limitations and the hindrances erected by the provincial government, the district government is planning to establish its full-fledged energy department to develop the fabulous hydro-power potential in the district and thereby gaining financial self-reliance.
He said that soft loans will be obtained by a financial institution of international stature for the construction of hydro power stations in different areas of the district for which initial talks had been held with the management.
Earlier, the members of the council, Rahmat Ghazi, Maulana Abdur Rahman, Muhammad Yaqub, Qari Jamshed Ahmed, Riaz Ahmad Diwanbegi and Mufti Sher Muhammad expressed their concern over the unscheduled and uncalled power load shedding in the district despite the availability of electricity after the inauguration of 108-MW Golen Gol hydro power station in February last.
They said that Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) should be taken to task for teasing its consumers by unscheduled load shedding.
They also expressed their apprehensions over the attitude of National Highway Authority in Lowari tunnel as the public transport is not allowed to pass through round the clock without any reason while it was inaugurated in July last year.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Renowned poet of Chitral Akhtar Azam Khan has joined Pakistan Tahrik-e-Insaf (PTI)
By Our Corespondent
CHITRAL: The renowned poet of Chitral Akhtar Azam Khan has joined Pakistan Tahrik-e-Insaf (PTI) along with tens of his companions leaving Jamaati-e-Islami.
Addressing a press conference flanked by the president of district chapter of the party Abdul Latif and general secretary Israruddin Saboor here on Tuesday, he said that he found Imran Khan as the only leader in the country who can lead the nation in these trying circumstances and put it on the right track.
He said that he will reach his each and every admirer spreading throughout the district with the message that Imran Khan is the name of progress and prosperity for the country and nation who had the zeal and zest to do away with corruption and the corrupt.
