PESHAWAR - Adviser to Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said the provincial government was likely to sign agreements with China for fast track railway as well as hydro power generation and road infrastructure projects. Ghani was addressing a news conference at press club on Wednesday. He said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would soon visit China to attend meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. He informed that the provincial govt was going to sign agreements with the Chinese government to generate 1200 mega watts of hydro power, initiate fast track railway between Peshawar, Nowshera, Charssada, Mardan and Swabi districts and construction of Gilgit-Chakdara and Dir-Chitral roads. About a much anticipated Mass Transit Bus project, the provincial government spokesman said initial work on the project had already been initiated, which would be completed by end of 2018.
He said the government had planned to run buses between Hayatabad and Chamkani in Peshawar, besides a separate bus service for women in Peshawar and Abbottabad.
In response to another question regarding government efforts toward attracting foreign investment in the province, Ghani said after signing agreements with China, foreign investment in KP would boost up. He added that the provincial government was also providing all kinds of facilities and incentives to investors under one-window operation in the province.
Ghani said a sum of Rs505 billion had been allocated for financial year 2016-17, out of which Rs276.114 billion had so far released.
He said the provincial government had taken several initiatives to provide maximum relief to poor people of the province. He said it made record legislation during last three and a half years, prominent among them were conflict of interest Act, whistleblower Act and legislation against the interest-based business in the province.
About the law and order situation in the province, the spokesman said the militancy-hit province witnessed 386 cases of terrorism, 2431 of killing and 2775 of attempt to murder in the outgoing year 2016. He said the police registered a total 190 cases of terrorism, 196 of anti-terrorism while registered 9,972 cases against the offenders.
Similarly, Mushtaq Ghani said, 2,431 cases of murder and 2775 cases of attempt to murder were reported from across the province during the year, adding that 21 cases of ransom and 100 of extortion were also registered with the police.
He also said the provincial police department conducted 103,198 raids under search and strike operations and registered 43,935 cases. He said 263 cases of robberies, 1956 of theft, 369 of vehicles’ snatching and 609 of motorbikes’ theft and snatching were also reported over the year.
Ends.