Laghman residents urge Surkhakan Park’s completion

MEHTARLAM (Pajhwok): Residents of eastern Laghman province are urging the authorities to resume and complete the remaining construction work on the "Surkhakan National Park" in Qarghayi district.

The park’s construction began along the Kabul River in the Surkhakan area during the previous government. However, the project came to a halt following the political transition and has not resumed since.

Local residents are now calling for the revival of this major national initiative.

Qari Hafizullah Oriakhel , a tribal elder from Qarghayi district, said: "The work on the national park started during the Republic era, but with the arrival of the new government, its construction stopped. We urge the authorities to restart this important national project."

Another resident, Zahidullah Musazai, emphasized the potential benefits of completing the park.

According to him, it could become a valuable source of income for the government and could create job opportunities for local people, and transform the area into a tourism hub.

Why construction stalled?

Maulvi Hussain Ahmad Telawi, head of the province’s Urban Development and Housing Department, told Pajhwok that the Surkhakan National Park is planned to be developed in two phases on 650 acres of land, at an estimated cost of 198 million afghanis.

He said the project is currently on hold due to unspecified technical issues. However, he noted that 41% of the first phase and 31% of the second phase have already been completed.

Telawi added that, in line with directives from the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, a joint delegation from the Ministries of Urban Development and Housing and Finance visited Laghman at the end of last solar year to assess the project.

He expressed hope that, once necessary preliminary evaluations are completed, work will resume during the current year.

The plan for Surkhakan National Park includes modern hotels, well-equipped shops, secondary recreational parks, and other essential facilities for both domestic and international tourists.

It is worth noting that, due to political changes in the country, many large and small projects funded by foreign countries and organizations—including this park—have been left incomplete.

However, officials of the Islamic Emirate say they are making efforts to complete such unfinished projects using internal funding sources.

sa/ma