Dir people concerned at CM’s ‘silence’ over CPEC project

DIR: The people of Upper Dir have expressed concern over Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s vague announcement about Chakadara-Dir-Chitral road during his trip to the district a day earlier.

Though the chief minister announced various development schemes for the district, the people were waiting to know the development about the alternative route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) via Chakadara-Dir-Chitral. The controversy was generated earlier this year after the government diverted the funds meant for the project to Swat, triggering protests in Upper Dir and Chitral. However, the chief minister didn’t say a word about the vital route. “We thought the chief minister would address our concern about the project, but he talked about expressway and not a project under CPEC,” said a PTI activist.

The social media users also expressed disappointment at the issue and said they would have been relieved had the chief minister said something clearly about the Chakadara-Dir-Chitral route under the CPEC. The chief minister had reached Dir late Friday and addressed a gathering at Patrak where a Pakistan People’s Party local leader Malik Gul Ibrahim announced to join the PTI.

The chief minister said that the PTI government was striving to make the province and country prosperous. He announced upgrading the District Headquarters Hospital in Dir to Category-A from Category-B. Mahmood Khan had also announced Rs1 billion for promoting tourism in Upper Dir. He also announced the construction of roads from Kalam to Kumrat and Kumrat to Patrak to promote tourism in the region.

Apart from Gwaladi and Doog Dara links roads, he also announced a special package of Rs30.5 million for making new link roads across the district. Mahmood Khan said that the ongoing projects in Upper Dir were being completed under the supervision of PTI lawmakers.