PESHAWAR
The people of Drosh comes up with a big bang, dancing on the tones on their traditional instruments – drum (Doll) and Pipe (Surna) when they saw the team of Prime Minister 1000 Project who formally announced the completion of Polo ground situated on the hill top here on Friday.
It was a thrilling gesture of the people gathered alongside the PMU team headed by Murad Ali Mohmand including Deputy Director Ameer Rehman, Deputy Director Geographical Information System (GIS), Engr. Paras Ahmad, Engr. Umer Shehzad.
The people of the area garlanded the PMU team for this quick work and thanked Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, who extended special love to the people of Chitral by approving more than 18 polo grounds all across Upper and Lower Chitral districts.
Drosh, joined Pakistan in 1947, was also called dros, in khowar is a town within the Chitral District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It was formerly a town within the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan but later on joined Pakistan.
In ancient times, Drosh town was part of Badakhshan and the property of Mehtar of Chitral. Mehtar was appointed his close relative as governor of Drosh. As part of the regime of the great Mehtar of Chitral (Aman UL Mulk), his half-brother Prince Kohkan Baig was governor of Drosh. After 14 years his attitude changed and he quit to Afghanistan and Mehtar Aman UL Mulk appointed his son, Prince Shah UL Mulk as governor of Drosh in 1872. Shah ul Mulk was governor of Drosh from 1872 to 1892. During that time Drosh province was from Broze to Chaqa Sarai (Afghanistan).
There was an entertaining dancing session when the PMU team of Prime Minister 1000 Play facilities joined the local people, expressing their love toward the traditional Polo ground. Project Management Unit 1000 Developing Facilities (PMUDF) visited Sweer Playground Lower Chitral where it is in progress.
Funds have been released this year for its early completion in October 2021, three months before the date line of completion in January 2022.
The leveling dressing and stage is in pending while the work on the boundary wall is 90 percent completed. Football poles with cricket pitches will be developed for the local community as well as facilitating the students of the Sweer Govt School. T
The community is much thankful to Mahmood Khan Chief Minister KP. Project Director Murad Ali Mohmand along with Deputy Director planning and monitoring Amir Muhammad Bettani, and teams of Engneers and District Sports Officer have also paid visits to other ongoing projects in order to monitor the pace of work as directed by Secretary Sports Abid Majeed and Director General Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak.
When contacted, Murad Ali Mohmand disclosed that work on 21 playing facilities including 18 polo grounds promised by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan under Prime Minister 1000 Playground Project costing Rs. 165 million was in full swing in Upper and Lower Chitral.
Project Director (PD) Prime Minister 1000 Playground Facilities, Murad Ali Mohmand, during his visit to Lower and Upper Chitral informed that all such projects would be completed within a given time frame.
The team included Project Director Murad Ali Mohmand, Deputy Director Amir Muhammad Betani, DSO Abdul Rahmat and Farooq Azam, C&W and Engineers Paras Ahmed, Omar Shehzad and Chitral Polo Association President Shehzada Sikandar were also present during the overall visit to monitor the ongoing work.
Murad Ali Mohmand said as per the promise of Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan, construction work on various grounds including national and international standard sports facilities was in full swing in all the districts of the province including Lower and Upper Chitral.
He said on the special instruction and preparing a comprehensive report about the PM 1000 Playground Project including 21 ongoing playing facilities with a record construction of 18 Polo grounds to be submitted to the Secretary Sports Abid Majeed and DG Sports Asfandyar Khattak who would present a detail briefing about the ongoing construction work to Chief Minister KP.
He said it was in the history of Chitral and the love shown by Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan with the people of Chitral to have 18 Polo grounds for the King Game and Game of King Polo.
The project after completion would be handed over to the Directorate General Sports KP very soon. The PM 1000 Playground Project, PMU and Engineers visited 21 grounds worth Rs 165 million in Chitral and reviewed the work at Lower Chitral.
