Says a state-of-the-art hospital and a university will be set up in Upper Chitral.
Bashir Hussain Azad | Chitral Today
CHITRAL, Oct 31, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday visited Chitral and announced a series of major development initiatives fir the area, declaring the district a key focus of the federal government’s plan to uplift remote and underdeveloped regions of Pakistan.
He made these announcements while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Daanish School near Spagh Lasht, Chitral.
Speaking to a large gathering, the Prime Minister said that the people of Chitral are known for their education, patriotism, and peaceful nature, despite the long-standing lack of modern facilities.
He said that the federal government fully recognizes their contribution to national unity and is committed to providing them with the same standard of education, healthcare, and infrastructure as other parts of the country.
Shehbaz Sharif announced that the newly approved Daanish School in Chitral will serve as a model of quality education in the northern areas. He called it a “special gift from the federal government to the people of Chitral”, designed to provide free, high-standard education along with boarding and lodging for poor and orphaned children.
The school, he assured, will match the standards of Aitchison College, giving students from Chitral an equal chance to compete at the national level. Construction on the project will begin in December and is expected to be completed within one year.
The Prime Minister said the establishment of the Daanish School marks the beginning of a new era for education in Chitral, where limited facilities have long restricted opportunities for youth. He further highlighted that education is the foundation of national progress, and Chitral’s bright, hardworking students deserve the best available resources.
In addition to the Daanish School, the Prime Minister unveiled several major development projects exclusively for Chitral, including detting up a modern university in Upper Chitral to provide higher education opportunities to local students; construction of a state-of-the-art hospital equipped with advanced medical facilities; completion of the 153-kilometre-long Chitral–Shandur Road by December 2026, improving connectivity between Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan; revival and completion of the Chitral Gas Plant Project, originally launched during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure; and implementation of a uniform electricity tariff for Upper Chitral, with Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari directed to visit the district next week to finalize the plan.
Shehbaz Sharif praised the people of Chitral for their resilience and strong sense of national pride, describing them as “an example of grace, courage, and education in Pakistan’s mountainous regions.”
He reiterated his government’s resolve to ensure that Chitral’s development keeps pace with Punjab, Sindh, and other provinces, and that no region is left behind in the journey toward progress.
He further said that federal resources will continue to focus on remote regions like Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir, ensuring equitable distribution of opportunities. The Prime Minister also reaffirmed that the Laptop Distribution Scheme will continue, providing digital access and learning tools to students of Chitral and other distant areas.
Before the Prime Minister’s address, Federal Minister Amir Muqam lauded the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government for its continuous support of Chitral, describing Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership as visionary and result-oriented. He urged the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to work collaboratively for the region’s progress instead of adopting a confrontational stance.
Former MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin presented a vote of thanks and a formal address of appreciation, acknowledging the Prime Minister’s special attention toward Chitral’s needs. PML-N Lower Chitral President Abdul Wali Khan Advocate and Upper Chitral President Syed Ahmed Khan also attended the ceremony.
It may be mentioned here that the prime minister was scheduled to visit Chitral on a private visit on Oct 22, but the visit was postponed at the 11th hours.
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