BISHAM: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan formally inaugurated the University of Shangla on Wednesday.
Speaking to media persons and a public gathering after the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister termed it a milestone project towards addressing the shortage of higher educational facilities in the district to a great extent.
He announced free education for children of coal mine workers at the university and said that the provincial government had focused on the uplift of backward districts of the province to ensure uniform development.
“The establishment of Shangla University is the desire of the provincial government to ensure that the youth of this area are imparted with quality higher education instead of working in coal mines,” he added.
Mahmood Khan said that his government was committed to establishing tourism as an industry in the province in order to provide livelihood opportunities and enable people to earn their living in their respective districts.
Regarding the kidnapping of coal-mine workers from Shangla in Balochistan province, the chief minister said that the government was in touch with the government of Balochistan and expressed hope that the kidnapped workers would be recovered soon.
The chief minister stated that despite the financial constraints created by the imported federal government, the provincial government is fully committed to completing the development activities in the province within the stipulated time frame. However, he said that his government had already communicated its concerns to the federal government. “If we do not get the legitimate rights of the province, we will not refrain from staging a sit-in in front of the national assembly,” he added.
He also announced that the true independence march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would move on Saturday towards Iqbal Park in Rawalpindi and said that the provincial ministers and MPAs would be leading the march from their respective constituencies.
He said that the provincial government was going all-out to ensure that everyone had equal access to higher education. He added that the provincial cabinet, in its 83rd meeting held the other day, had formally approved the launching of an education card scheme with the aim of imparting free education in government colleges.
