Arandu gets Community Business Centre

CHITRAL: A community-managed business centre was inaugurated at Arandu in Lower Chitral district on Sunday.

Arandu connects Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan with Pakistan. The business centre comprising of 30 shops, a community hall, a mosque and eight public washrooms will play a pivotal role in building cross-border relationships between the peoples of this region.

Chitral has traditionally served as a good centre for business, economic and social ties between these areas. It is expected that once the border areas open up, the community-run business centre would boost business relationships between these areas.

Assistant Commissioner Drosh Abdul Haq, who represented Deputy Commissioner, Commanding Officer 62 Baloch Farooq Bugti, community elders, CEO of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) Masood-ul-Mulk and representatives of PATRIP Foundation attended the function.

The building was built by the SRSP with the financial assistance of the PATRIP Foundation of government of Germany.

The CEO of SRSP, speaking on the occasion, said the SRSP had helped build 52 kilometres road in the valley to make it accessible. He said his organisation rebuilt 32 government schools and improved with additional rooms, latrines and made drinking water available.

A girls’ hostel was established to promote education, he said, adding that Arandu was one of the most neglected parts of this province with abysmal social indicators. “This investment from the government of Germany will help improve the quality of life in the region and boost ties with border districts,” he added.

The elders proposed sports ties across the border as an initial step. However, it was decided that the matter would be discussed at the government level.

Assistant commissioner and the community elders were handed over the ownership documents.

The community elders thanked PATRIP Foundation, SRSP, the administration and the Pak Army for making development activities possible in this remote and hitherto neglected region.