CHITRAL: The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) has selected six union councils here for work for poverty alleviation with the financial assistance of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF).

In a briefing to mediapersons, AKRSP regional programme manager Sardar Ayub and PPAF project manager Imtiaz Ahmed said that the initiative would help the poor to increase their per capita income.

They said that poverty was being addressed by transferring assets to the poor to enable them earn livelihood and raise their living standard. They claimed that financial assistance had been extended to 732 households.

They said that 35 different sectors had been identified for launching self-employment schemes of which about 10 were concerned with womenfolk. They said that training was provided to beneficiaries of the project to launch and manage their small businesses.

They claimed that in the selected union councils of Chitral-II, Mulkhow, Koh, Oveer, Khot and Yarkhoon, the poor were identified through poverty score card system with active participation of local community.

They said that 352 youth were provided training in the technical training centre of National Logistic Cell in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, joint funeral prayers were held on Sunday for the nine persons who were killed after the jeep carrying them plunged into a deep ravine on Chitral-Booni road the previous day.

They were buried in two graveyards in Shogram village.

Thousands of people attended the funeral and touching scenes were witnessed on the occasion. Meanwhile, MNA from Chitral Iftikharuddin, and MPAs Saleem Khan and Bibi Fauzia have expressed their condolences with the bereaved families.