DLP Report
SWAT
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday inaugurated and broke ground for development projects worth more than Rs12 billion during a day-long visit to Swat, while reaffirming his government’s opposition to the extension of taxation to Malakand Division and the merged districts.
The projects launched by the chief minister include the Rs9.9 billion University of Computing Sciences and Information Technology at Kabal, the newly constructed Badalai Bridge built at a cost of Rs395 million, a Special Children School and Special Children Teacher Training Centre completed for Rs214 million, and the Kabal Police Facilitation Centre.
Mr Afridi also performed the groundbreaking of the Wainai-Gatt Road project, which is estimated to cost Rs1.437 billion.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the university, the chief minister described the institution as the fulfilment of a long-standing vision of former federal minister Murad Saeed. He said the land earmarked for the university had earlier been occupied illegally but was recovered, enabling the establishment of the institution.
He also announced that the provincial government would provide full funding for the completion of the remaining development work at Shaheed Arshad Sharif University and its affiliated campuses to expand access to higher education.
Referring to the recently imposed taxation in Malakand Division and the merged districts, Mr Afridi reiterated the provincial government’s opposition to the move, calling it against the interests of the local population.
He recalled that former prime minister Imran Khan had granted tax exemptions to Malakand Division and the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in 2018 and urged the federal government to restore the exemptions without delay.
The chief minister said a consultative meeting of parliamentarians from Malakand Division and the merged districts, along with representatives of political parties, was being convened to develop a joint stance on the issue. He maintained that the provincial government would not allow additional tax burdens to be imposed on the people of those regions.
Mr Afridi declared the fiscal year 2026-27 a year of peace, development and prosperity for KP, while paying tribute to the sacrifices made by the people and police during more than two decades of counterterrorism operations.
He said that despite the loss of over 80,000 lives and substantial financial costs, the province had witnessed a renewed wave of insecurity. He called for a comprehensive review of the country’s counterterrorism strategy, arguing that the existing approach had failed to deliver lasting peace.
The chief minister said the provincial government would oppose any policy that undermined the interests of the province and stressed that governance would continue to be guided by the vision of Imran Khan and the democratic mandate of the people.
He said lasting peace would ultimately depend on the resilience and sacrifices of the people, the KP Police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), adding that the provincial government would resist, through constitutional and democratic means, any policy that served vested interests instead of restoring peace in the province.
Provincial ministers Meena Khan Afridi and Dr Amjad, elected representatives from Swat, the commissioner of Malakand Division and other senior government officials attended the ceremonies.
