Minister Afridi vows equal development across KP cities

ABBOTTABAD, Apr 04 (APP):Expressing strong displeasure over delays in key infrastructure projects, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Local Government, Rural Development, and Higher Education, Meena Khan Afridi, declared on Saturday that delays in development works are unacceptable and ordered the completion of the Sherwan Recreational Park by August 10, 2026.

During a high-level meeting at the Commissioner’s Office in Abbottabad, Afridi reviewed ongoing schemes alongside MPAs Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and Raja Ali Abbasi, Secretary Local Government Zafar-ul-Islam, Commissioner Fayyaz Ali Shah, and other officials. The minister took strict notice of an illegal land grab at the Mansehra Lari Adda, where a transport union has allegedly been collecting fees without authorization, and directed the Deputy Commissioner to restore lawful control of the facility to TMA Mansehra. He also ordered the shifting of Abbottabad’s General Bus Stand and Vegetable Market to a new location outside the city, stating that the provincial government is committed to putting all cities on the path to development without discrimination.

Later, Afridi visited Sherwan Recreational Park, where he expressed fury over the slow pace of development under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project, warning that no obstacles will be tolerated in providing recreational facilities to citizens. He set a strict deadline of August 10, 2026, for completing all remaining work and called for full transparency, stressing that the people’s money must be spent on the people themselves. At the conclusion of the visit, the minister and the two MPAs planted a sapling at Sherwan Park to launch a tree plantation campaign