PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday approved the construction of the 365km Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway as a public-private partnership project and directed the finance department to arrange funds for land acquisition.

The development came during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and attended by cabinet members, chief secretary, additional chief secretaries and administrative secretaries here, according to an official statement.

The cabinet also granted “one-step up-gradation to all employees of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ development corporation in line with the recommendations of a committee, formed for looking into their grievances, as well as a Supreme Court decision.”

It approved Rs40 million funds for around 80 churches in the province as a Christmas gift, with each getting Rs500,000, and directed the finance department to release the amount immediately.

Rs40m approved for 80 churches in province as ‘Christmas gift’

The government has already released salaries to its Christian employees and said it was committed to ensuring peace, stability, and equal opportunities for all communities, according to the statement.

The cabinet also approved Rs300 million for a medical and dental college at Pakistan-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology Haripur in two tranches, with Rs150 million for the current financial year and Rs150 million for the next.

It also approved the proposal to forward a provincial assembly resolution, which read: “Although Article 33 states that the state shall discourage partisan, racial, tribal, sectarian and provincial prejudices among its citizens, the Islamabad police are committing atrocities against the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Pakhtuns, and are harassing Pakhtuns who do business there. These atrocities are illegal and unconstitutional.” The assembly urged the provincial government to recommend to the federal government that the Islamabad police do away with those atrocities and acts of harassment.

Also, the cabinet approved partnership with the Bank of Khyber Peshawar regarding the Annual Development Programme 2024-25 for the development of community-based accommodation to facilitate tourists.

According to the official statement, the Mezban project is aimed at boosting tourism through improving community-based accommodation facilities for tourists and that the maximum ceiling of loan for every individual will be Rs3 million. The target districts include Dir, Chitral, Swat and Mansehra, with priority to be given to valleys with higher tourist influx.

The cabinet approved the allocation and release of recurring grant for disbursement among the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to pay regular pension and its liability and salaries.

It approved amendments to Rule 12(2) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Servants (Appointments, Promotion & Transfer) Rules, 1989. Under amendments, posts in BPS-3-15 of the district cadre should be filled only from domicile holders of the district concerned.

The cabinet, to make the establishment of the Dera Ismail Khan Girls’ Cadet College as functional, approved extension of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Education and Training Institutions Ordinance, 1971, to that college. It also approved a grant of Rs300 million for it.

It approved amendments to sections 13(2) and (3), 18 and 20(2) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Financial Management Act No XXIX of 2022, to “bring uniformity in legislation with other provinces and maintain provincial autonomy.”

The move is aimed at best utilisation of the treasury and accounts establishment, which is the attached formation of the finance department, according to the official statement.

The cabinet approved the allocation and release of Rs3.5 million grant-in-aid for the financial year 2024-25 for China Window in Peshawar.

The China Window was established as the result of a memorandum of understanding signed with the Embassy of China in Islamabad, to help bring people of both countries closer.

The cabinet also approved the establishment of the Water and Sanitation Services Company in Haripur along with the provision of Rs250 million in the upcoming budget through supplementary grant for it.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024