Ghizer, November 6, 2024–Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a model village in Ghizer’s Bubar area, designed to provide housing for residents displaced by the 2022 floods. Built over 110 kanals of land, each home in the village features two bedrooms, a water supply, solar power, and road connectivity.
The Prime Minister distributed allotment certificates to selected residents and directed local authorities to establish a school, dispensary, and playground in the village. He emphasized that the dispensary should include first aid, ultrasound, X-ray, and maternity care services. He also ordered a third-party validation of the project to address potential gaps, requesting the addition of chimneys in all homes for safety during winter.
Dressed in a traditional Gilgit cap (Pakul) and robe, PM Shehbaz assigned Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to oversee the school’s construction. Reflecting on his previous visit to the flood-stricken village in 2022, he remembered Qandeel, a teenage girl who, along with her father, survived the disaster. The Prime Minister had previously established a Rs5 million endowment fund for her, which has now grown to Rs6.7 million to support her education and future aspirations.
PM Shehbaz praised GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan and other officials for their dedication to the project. During the ceremony, he also unveiled a plaque for the 216-kilometer Gilgit-Shandur Road, scheduled for completion by November 2025, which will reduce travel time between cities from eight hours to three.
GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his support, noting that the 2022 floods had claimed many lives in Bubar. The new model village, he said, provides essential amenities and connectivity. A community representative also extended thanks to PM Shehbaz, the GB administration, and former Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman for their efforts in rebuilding the village.
Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Attaullah Tarar, and Amir Muqam accompanied the Prime Minister during the visit.
