Peshawar – 13 June 2025: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s much-celebrated Rs. 2.1 trillion budget for 2025–26 has come under fire for excluding major development projects for the Hazara Division and the Upper and Lower Chitral districts—two of the most strategically and economically important regions of the province.
Despite heavy allocations for health, education, infrastructure, and law enforcement, not a single flagship project has been announced for Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Battagram, Kolai-Palas, or the Chitrals, raising serious concerns of discrimination and regional imbalance in the provincial development strategy.
While smaller allocations were made in general areas—for instance, a mention of some road projects in Nowshera, bypass in Swat, or slaughterhouses in Haripur—there is no mega scheme, university, hospital, expressway, dam, or industrial zone planned for Hazara Division or Chitral, areas that contribute significantly to tourism, remittances, and hydro-power generation.
In contrast, southern districts and merged tribal areas have seen substantial gains in the budget, including roads, health facilities, Safe City projects, water supply systems, and billions in livestock and irrigation projects.
Local leaders and civil society activists in Hazara and Chitral have criticized the PTI-led KP government, calling the budget “politically biased and regionally unfair.” They argue that while PTI enjoys strong political support in Hazara, it has failed to translate that into development priorities.
“How can a government claim inclusivity when it completely skips two entire divisions from its core development vision?” said a former elected representative from Chitral. “These areas are already underdeveloped and now entirely ignored. It’s a betrayal.”
Analysts also highlight that Chitral, despite its vulnerability to climate change and geographic isolation, has been left out even from tourism development packages, while areas like Malakand and Swat received large-scale attention.
Critics are demanding that the KP Assembly review and revise the budget to ensure equitable allocation of funds across all regions. They warn that this disparity could widen the development gap, fuel public resentment, and undermine the province’s unity.