KP CM inaugurates multiple projects in Khyber

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Tuesday reviewed development progress in District Khyber and inaugurated multiple projects reflecting the provincial government’s focus on modern education, improved healthcare, infrastructure development, and positive engagement of youth.

During the visit, the Chief Minister inaugurated the upgradation of the Government College of Engineering and Technology Jamrud to Applied Sciences, formally opened 50 newly constructed and rehabilitated educational institutions in terrorism affected areas, inaugurated the completed Bara Bypass Road, launched the Sehat Sahulat Programme at DHQ Hospital Jamrud, and inaugurated a special maternal and child nutrition facility, along with several other public welfare projects.Addressing various ceremonies during the visit, the Chief Minister said that these initiatives reflect a comprehensive government strategy aimed at promoting modern education, strengthening infrastructure, improving healthcare services, and encouraging positive activities across the province.

He stated that the present provincial government is taking concrete steps to address the longstanding deprivations of the people of underdeveloped districts, adding that public welfare and protection of citizens’ rights remain the top priority, on which no compromise will be made.

He asserted that decisions will now be made strictly in the interest of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that the government will not step back even an inch in safeguarding those interests.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the upgradation of Government College of Engineering and Technology Jamrud, the Chief Minister stated that modern academic programmes including Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Robotics, and Software Engineering will give a new direction to education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noting that the outdated education system had been producing unemployment, whereas the current government is moving towards a modern, market oriented education framework.

He informed that state of the art laboratories and modern libraries are being established in colleges across the province for the first time, and that this advanced education model will be gradually expanded from throughout the province.

He emphasized that the government seeks to empower youth through education and knowledge, stressing that global competition is impossible without modern science and technology.

The Chief Minister made it clear that decisions will no longer being dictated from Islamabad or Rawalpindi, but will be taken in accordance with the interests of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in line with the vision of Imran Khan and the manifesto of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf.

In his address, the Chief Minister termed the imprisonment of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi unjust and expressed serious concern over violations of their fundamental rights. He said that despite Imran Khan’s deteriorating health, his personal doctors have not been allowed access.

He revealed that he himself was stopped more than twelve times from visiting Adiala Jail and that his passport was placed on the stop list, which he termed discriminatory treatment against a constitutional office.

He stated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a federating unit of Pakistan, yet an unequal and unfair attitude is being adopted towards its Chief Minister, adding that if such treatment can be meted out to a Chief Minister, one can only imagine the plight of an ordinary citizen.

The Chief Minister said that he approached the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court but received no relief, adding that all constitutional, legal, and democratic avenues had been exhausted. He remarked that when all doors are closed, peaceful protest becomes the only option, which will be carried out strictly within the framework of the Constitution and law.

He urged the youth to stand up for their rights and oppose any policy that goes against the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reiterating his resolve to not retreat even an inch in defending the rights of the people.

Condemning the torture of lawyer Ali Zaman, the Chief Minister said that abduction and torture by individuals in plain clothes fall within the definition of terrorism, warning that every act of injustice will be held accountable, as power is not permanent.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated 50 reconstructed and rehabilitated schools in Bara and surrounding terrorism affected areas of District Khyber, rebuilt with financial and technical assistance from the government of China.

He was briefed that the project included 35 primary schools, 7 middle schools, 7 high schools, and one higher secondary school.

The institutions have been equipped with solar energy systems, clean drinking water, cooling, and sanitation facilities, and have been handed over to the Education Department.

The Chief Minister said that this project represents investment in future generations, adding that terrorists destroyed schools, but the provincial government rebuilt the future.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026