ISLAMABAD, Jun 19 (APP):PML-N lawmaker Babar Nawaz Khan on Friday urged the federal government to give special attention to Haripur district, saying its people have contributed significantly to national development but are still awaiting their due share in development and public welfare projects. Taking part in the budget debate in the National Assembly, he said Haripur plays a key role in Pakistan’s economic growth and energy security, hosting the Tarbela …
Babar Nawaz Khan calls for special development package for Haripur
ISLAMABAD, Jun 19 (APP):PML-N lawmaker Babar Nawaz Khan on Friday urged the federal government to give special attention to Haripur district, saying its people have contributed significantly to national development but are still awaiting their due share in development and public welfare projects.
Taking part in the budget debate in the National Assembly, he said Haripur plays a key role in Pakistan’s economic growth and energy security, hosting the Tarbela Dam, which generates more than half of the country’s hydro-power, and the Khanpur Dam, which supplies water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
He added that the district also houses the country’s largest industrial estate, but continues to face shortages in infrastructure, healthcare, employment opportunities and environmental management.
Referring to a UNICEF report, he said around 80 percent of children aged 12 to 30 months in parts of the district were found with elevated levels of lead in their blood, calling it a serious public health concern requiring urgent attention.
Babar Nawaz Khan said local communities had made major sacrifices for the construction of the Tarbela Dam, including displacement and loss of ancestral land and graveyards, but the area had not received proportionate development benefits.
He urged both federal and provincial governments to ensure better healthcare, clean drinking water and improved basic facilities for the people of Haripur.
He also called for a special development package for the district and greater employment opportunities for locals in ongoing projects, including those related to the Tarbela Dam.
