DLP Report
MARDAN
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday said that despite limited resources, the provincial government was making sustained efforts to improve education, health, governance and public service delivery in line with the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
Addressing the annual Parents’ Day ceremony at Girls Cadet College Mardan as the chief guest, the chief minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced challenges far greater than those confronting other provinces, but human development and public welfare remained the government’s top priorities.
During the ceremony, the chief minister distributed medals, trophies and certificates among cadets who excelled in academic and co-curricular activities and reviewed a march past presented by the students.
Speaking on the occasion, Afridi noted that Girls Cadet College Mardan enrolled students not only from KP but also from other provinces and overseas Pakistani families, reflecting confidence in the institution’s academic standards. He said the provision of quality education to girls was a key priority of the provincial government and assured further investment in the education sector.
The chief minister announced the establishment of a Girls Cadet College in District Khyber and pledged the provision of funds for the timely completion of the under-construction building of Girls Cadet College Mardan. He reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting quality educational institutions across the province.
Highlighting financial challenges, Afridi said KP was not receiving its constitutionally mandated financial share in full, adding that outstanding dues owed by the federal government had exceeded Rs4,500 billion. He said these included hydel power arrears, promised allocations for merged districts, net hydel profits and other liabilities.
He added that while the merged districts had been administratively integrated, their financial integration remained incomplete, terming it a constitutional violation. The chief minister said KP was providing the country’s cheapest electricity, while costly agreements at the federal level had led to a sharp increase in power tariffs.
Afridi maintained that the provision of the province’s due financial resources would enable greater investment in energy, education, health and social sectors, with benefits extending beyond the province.
Referring to the broader economic situation, he said political instability, flawed economic policies, rising inflation, declining industrial and agricultural output and growing unemployment had weakened the national economy, forcing millions of Pakistanis to seek opportunities abroad.
Outlining the way forward, the chief minister said Pakistan’s progress depended on constitutional supremacy, fair distribution of resources and political stability. He stressed the need to set aside personal differences and political vendettas in the national interest, adding that the provincial government would continue working to build a strong, self-reliant and prosperous KP.
