Cycle of neglect: Nawaz, Khattak urged to visit Chitral

JI leader demands reconstruction of Reshun Power Plant

CHITRAL: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak have been urged to visit Chitral to address the plight of the flood-affected population.

This was said by Jamaat-e-Islami provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmad Khan during a news conference at Governor Cottage, Chitral on Wednesday. “The people of Chitral have been compelled to live in the Stone Age,” he said. “The district has, time and again, been hit by natural calamities and special attention is required to address the grievances of locals.”

According to Mushtaq Ahmed, a diverse spectrum of problems have gripped the region since 2005.

“This has affected the economic situation of the district,” he said.

The JI leader added floods have adversely impacted infrastructure in Chitral. “Roads have been washed away, bridges have [been destroyed] and there is no electricity,” he said. “Neither the provincial administration nor the federal government has tried to help the people of Chitral.”

Mushtaq Ahmad also drew attention to the need to kickstart reconstruction work at Reshun Power Plant, which was destroyed during the floods in 2015.

“I will try to arrange a meeting of elders in Chitral with the chief minister and other relevant authorities so that the problems of locals can be addressed,” the JI leader said.

A number of other party leaders and officials were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2016.