MARDAN, Dec 16: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti on Sunday paid tribute to the law enforcement agencies for foiling attempts by militants to damage assets of PAF base housed at the Bacha Khan International Airport stating that they had to forge unity among their ranks so as to face challenges posed by the terrorists.

The chief minister said the terrorists planned to take over the airport but the brave personnel of security forces and police foiled their attempt.

Addressing a public meeting of Awami National Party at Mardan cantonment area, Mr Hoti also announced Rs90 million for the rehabilitation and renovation of a church which had been attacked by suspected militants few months ago during a protest demonstration against the sacrilegious movie made in the US.

Mr Hoti said the nation had been passing through a testing time as they had been facing several critical challenges, adding they had to remain united so as to foil the conspiracies being hatched by their internal and external enemies.

He said he did not believe in personal criticism rather believed in principle as well as in sincere efforts for betterment of poor people. “We are committed to changing the miserable life of common people of Mardan into a prosperous one,” he added.

Mr Hoti claimed that his government had completed record developmental projects in different parts of the Mardan city in the last four and half years. He took credit for setting up Rescue-1122 service in Mardan city. He said six mechanical machines for cleaning of roads had been handed over to the tehsil municipal administration Mardan.

He said Rs6.7 million had been spent on the construction of two public hujras in the cantonment, Rs1 million on installation of streetlights, Rs1.1 million on drainage system from Yadgar chowk to Pakistan chowk, Rs2.8 million over repair of electricity transformers, Rs20 million each on construction of roads in Adal and Qazi Bashir areas while Rs8 million had been spent on the construction of Habib-ur-Rehman road.