CM wants Lowari Top developed as tourist spot

Agrees to documentation of NCP vehicles in Malakand division

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak Wednesday agreed to a proposal to develop Lowari Top as a tourist spot.

He was presiding over a meeting, which was attended by Minister Excise Mian Jamsheddin, administrative secretaries, Malakand commissioner, regional police officers of Malakand and Mardan, Collector Customs, income tax commissioner and others, said an official handout.

The meeting had a threadbare discussion on the data bank of the non-custom paid vehicles and different issues of Swat Cantonment, road communication network and other allied issues. The participants of the meeting agreed to develop a data bank of all vehicles with proper number plates and registered with the relevant police stations.

The owners would only be given a token for number plate and the owner would then prepare a number plate so that the misuse and abuse of vehicle could be discouraged. The meeting agreed to the documentation of all non- custom paid vehicles for the purpose of security. This will discourage the theft of vehicles and their use in the act of crimes and terrorism, etc. The owners would not be charged nor would they pay any fee.

The chief minister directed for a transparent mechanism to discourage the misuse and abuse of such vehicles in the acts of crimes, smuggling, terrorism and discouraging the theft of vehicles.

The provincial government would provide all out support to the mechanism for developing the data bank to be registered in the relevant police stations. The mechanism would have a representation of the excise, custom, police, etc. The chief minister also agreed to certain roads linkages with the Swat Cantonment and the settling of traffic related problems in Mingora.

The meeting was told that Lowari Tunnel would be ready for transportation by June 2017. The chief minister directed to develop Lowari Top and other identified scenic spots along tourism lines.

“We have to exploit the tourism potentials of Malakand division. We have to plan how to develop these spots for attracting maximum tourists thus boosting the tourism industry in Malakand division,” he added.