PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid Station Company to ensure the timely and high-quality completion of the provincial government’s ongoing transmission line project, underscoring its importance for economic growth and energy self-reliance.
Chairing a review meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Transmission Line and Distribution Company, the chief minister said electricity generated from provincial power projects would be supplied to industries at affordable rates to promote industrialisation, economic stability and job creation. He also instructed officials to complete the feasibility study for the proposed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Power Distribution Company within six months and to finalise the draft Regulatory Authority Act.
During the meeting, progress on power transmission infrastructure and hydropower projects was reviewed. Officials informed the chief minister that completion of ongoing hydropower schemes over the next four years would add 800 megawatts to the provincial system. Work is underway on a 120-kilometre transmission line from the Mitaltan Powerhouse to Chakdara Grid Station, with construction currently in progress on the 40-kilometre Lot-I.
Briefing the meeting, officials said the 36MW Daral Khwar hydropower project has been completed and is operational, while seven other projects with a combined capacity of 224MW are currently under implementation. The 84MW Gorkan Mitaltan project is 87 per cent complete and is expected to be commissioned by December 2026, while the 95MW Gabral Kalam and 215MW Madain hydropower projects are scheduled for completion in 2027.
Addressing participants, the chief minister stressed that the projects involve public tax money and that negligence or complacency would not be tolerated. “We are not thinking about the next election, but about the next generation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Afridi paid a surprise late-night visit to the Zamung Kor Model Institute for orphaned and destitute children, where he met students and the administration separately, listened to their concerns and issued on-the-spot directives for immediate resolution.
He ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms, the prompt recruitment of required teachers, and stressed that negligence in meeting students’ needs would not be tolerated. On students’ request, he approved complete fee waivers for Zamung Kor students enrolled in government colleges, while directing the provincial government to bear the full fees of those studying in private colleges. He also approved a special quota for Zamung Kor students in ETEA merit scholarships.
The chief minister announced priority access to all educational opportunities for orphaned and destitute children to ensure dignity and prevent deprivation. He also ordered the establishment of a dedicated complaint cell to allow students to directly convey grievances to him. Expressing dissatisfaction with the institute’s accounting and stipend disbursement systems, he directed their immediate digitisation and approved transport facilities for students attending colleges and sports academies.
Afridi further ordered inquiries into complaints regarding the expulsion of 11 children and the distribution of hygiene kits. During inspections of various sections, he reviewed food quality and directed the provision of nutritious meals, calling the care of orphaned children a constitutional and moral responsibility. He said Zamung Kor institutes were established under Imran Khan’s Ehsaas vision and would be run in their true spirit under his personal supervision.
The chief minister also visited the Zamung Kor Girls Campus in Hayatabad to review compliance with earlier directives. Later, resident girls visited the Chief Minister’s House at his invitation, toured the premises, interacted with him and attended a special luncheon, where gifts were distributed. Addressing the students, Afridi said the children are the true owners of Zamung Kor and assured them of continued support until the completion of their education.
