Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Karamatullah Khan, currently the acting governor of the province, inaugurated two newly-constructed controversial degree colleges for girls in Mathra and Chagharmatti in the suburban areas close Peshawar.
Of these, Girls Degree College at Mathra is a bone of contention between Khan and Awami National Party Central Additional Secretary General Hasham Babar. Babar is said to have donated 86 kanals of land for the college and claimed that he or any other leader from the ANP should inaugurate the college.
A number of advertisements and press statements were published in local newspapers on Wednesday to strengthen ANP’s hold on the inauguration. However, the acting governor took charge and inaugurated the college today (Wednesday) in a ceremony which was not attended by anybody from the Education Department or the Directorate of Colleges.
Addressing the ceremony, Khan said it was a great achievement on part of the provincial government. “This is a very important gift to those girls who want to pursue higher education and the timing is also right, since the new academic year is about to start,” he said.
The colleges were constructed with a cost Rs 300 million in a record time of 18 months, six months ahead of the scheduled time frame.
Khan said the colleges would minimise the difficulties being faced by parents and will allow female students to contribute to the growth of the country. “The credit of this achievement goes to Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti whose keen interest in ensuring timely availability of financial resources made this endeavour possible,” he said, adding that the provincial Communication and Works Department had played a vital role.
Earlier, addressing the inaugural ceremony of BS Four Years Programme at the existing Degree College for Boys at Mathra, Khan also disclosed that a big flood protection programme costing Rs 560 million was in progress and it would save a vast population at the suburban areas from the floodwaters coming from Khyber Agency and Warsak. He said a project of natural gas extension was also in progress, adding that apart from the Northern bypass which would link the Motorway with Jamrud in Khyber Agency, a number of roads were also under construction and would play a role in the socio-economic development of the region.
Khan urged the tribal elders to concentrate on educating their children, adding that the government would facilitate them in this regard.
