Govt committed to promoting culture activities in KP, says minister

MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports, Tourism, Culture, Archive and Youth Affairs Muhammad Atif Khan on Saturday vowed to promote cultural activities across the province.

Addressing festival “Da Ta Wai Mardan” organised by the district government, the minister said that the government had identified 25 new sites for the promotion of tourism and culture activities.

He said the government would hold a mega culture festival “Jashan-e-Mardan” in March next year, in which scores of culture activities would be organised.

He said for the promotion of culture gathering a multi-purpose hall would be constructed in Mardan.

“The government has already given approval for the up-gradation of Sports Complex Mardan, construction of Youth Hostel, Gymnasium so that the healthy activities could be promoted,” he added. The minister said for the promotion of religious and culture activities the government has allocated a sum of Rs500 million besides Rs 250 million for the infrastructure development of sports in the district.

“Funds have also allocated for the promotion of traditional games and soon a Kabaddi, Guli Danda, Makha and other traditional games would be organized,” he added.

Earlier, the KP Senior Minister was received by members of the provincial assembly including Abdus Salam, Zahir Shah Toru, acting Nazim of the District Council Waqar Ahmad, Naib Nazim Asad Ali Kashmiri, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abid Wazir, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Qasim Ali and others.

The minister visited different stalls setup in the family festival that attracted large number of families and lauded the efforts being put in by the organizing committee of the district government.

PPP senator accuses govt of biased accountability: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Khanzada Khan said on Saturday that his party was in favour of across-the-board accountability.

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government is taking revengeful actions, instead of accountability,” he said while talking to the newly-elected cabinet of Mardan Press Club.

Khanzada said the PTI government had failed to come up to the expectations of the masses.

He added that the courts cleared PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari but said that the PTI government had started revengeful actions against him.

“PTI government should first prove corruption, then start accountability,” he added.

He said that due to the one-sided accountability, the PTI government itself damaged its reputation. “There are certain hurdles, but still we want alliance between PPP and PML-N,” he added. Khanzada said that the party workers were ready for any call from the leadership to launch agitation.