Minister links regional stability to peace in Afghanistan

LANDIKOTAL: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri on Sunday said a peaceful Afghanistan was inevitable for regional stability.

He was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Landikotal bazaar here.

A large number of traders, businessmen, shopkeepers and local elders attended the event.

Noorul Haq Qadri said restrictions on the Torkham border with Afghanistan were necessitated due to the conditions placed by the Financial Action Task Force to check illegal movement of people and curb money-laundering. He said Rs200 million had been approved for the beautification of Landikotal bazaar and work on the project would soon start.

He said the Khyber economic corridor project would be executed at a cost of Rs70 billion, which would play the role of a game-changer for Khyber district.

The government solarized tube-wells and mosques in Landikotal, he said, adding, he was working to include two

industrial zones in the Khyber economic corridor project to attract foreign investors.

The minister added the Khyber train safari project would be revived to boost tourism.

Earlier, the minister administered oath to the newly elected office-bearers of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Landikotal.

Heirs get financial help: All Teachers Association (ATA) Khyber chapter distributed cash among the families of former school teachers who had died during service. A ceremony was held at Shaheed Abdul Azam Government Higher Secondary School(1) in Jamrud which was attended by a large number of teachers, parents, students and ex-teachers’ family members.

ATA ex-Fata president Naseer Shah Afridi distributed Rs,50,000 each among three families of school teachers.