Peshawar’s Governor House finally opened to public

PESHAWAR: The Governor House was formally opened to the general public as students from Frontier College for Women Peshawar and Government Girls College Kohat visited the British-era historic building here on Sunday.

An official handout said the students went round different parts of the building and strolled in the lawns. Talking to the students, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman said it was the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's policy to provide the general public access to the governor's houses so that they can keep a check on affairs. He said as the first step girl students were provided the opportunity to visit the Governor's House and later it would be opened for the general public.

He said a separate park for women in the Governor House and establishment of a museum were under consideration. On the request of the students, the governor allowed them to visit the main part of the building.

Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to the provincial capital on Friday directed the KP government to open the Governor's House for the general public. He also directed opening of the historic Balahisar Fort to the public after shifting of the Frontier Corps headquarters located there to an alternate place.

Following the prime minister's directives, the Governor House was opened on Sunday for students from the two girl colleges. The governor houses in Lahore and Karachi have already opened doors for the general public. However, the media was not allowed to enter the Governor House.

The doors of the Governor House have been generally closed to the media since the PTI’s coming into the power. The media wasn't even allowed to cover the oath-taking of the provincial cabinet recently. Some youngsters wearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf caps managed to enter the maximum-security Governor's House.