PESHAWAR, Apr 02 The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports and Youth Affairs on Thursday called for expediting sports infrastructure projects across the province, with a special focus on resolving land-related hurdles delaying playground construction.
The committee met under the chairmanship of MPA Iftikhar Ullah Jan and reviewed the overall performance of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department. Adviser to the Chief Minister on Sports Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand, MPAs Farzana Shireen and Aiman Jalil Jan, along with senior officials, attended the session, said a press release.
During the briefing, officials outlined administrative and financial challenges facing the department and shared updates on ongoing development schemes, youth initiatives, and institutional structures, including the Directorate of Youth Affairs and projects in merged districts.
The committee was informed that multiple schemes, ranging from construction of sports complexes and grounds to youth centres and tartan tracks are underway across the province.
Progress on programs such as Ehsaas Naujawan and activities targeting madrassa students, orphans and marginalized groups, including the transgender community, was also reviewed.
Highlighting key bottlenecks, the meeting noted that land disputes and documentation issues were slowing down several projects.
Adviser on Sports Tarand directed officials to compile and submit complete records of such cases, assuring that they would be taken up with relevant elected representatives to ensure timely resolution.
He reiterated that the government aims to establish playgrounds at the tehsil level and expand access to sports facilities, terming youth development a top priority.
Chairman Iftikhar Ullah Jan emphasized better utilization of available resources to engage youth in healthy activities and directed the department to include facilities such as walking tracks for senior citizens in future planning.
The committee also decided to invite officials from the Planning and Development and Finance departments to the next meeting to streamline funding and implementation of sports projects.
