MPA ‘inaugurates’ work on hospital in Booni amid controversy

CHITRAL: Inauguration of work on the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital triggered controversy as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists challenged the local member provincial assembly (MPA) belonging to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) when he reached the venue to open work on the project.

“This is PTI-led government and the provincial health minister will inaugurate the project,” an angry PTI activist told MPA Sardar Hussain. The move led to a near clash between the activists of the two parties.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had announced to upgrade the facility as a category-C hospital, allocating Rs70.2 million for it. And both the PTI and local MPA have been claiming credit for approval of the project. When MPA Sardar Hussain of the PPP tried to open work on the project, the local PTI activists reached the hospital and stopped him.

There was a near clash between the workers of both the parties but the police reached the spot and calmed down both the parties. The PTI activists also announced that the KP health minister would formally inaugurate the work on January 28.

Speaking on the occasion, the MPA said that the upgrading of the hospital was the longstanding demand of locals.

The legislator said the hospital would be equipped with modern machinery.

He added that Rs450 million have been allocated for the project and thanked Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for taking special interest in the development of Chitral.