Road networks imperative for socio-economic development: Kareem

ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 (APP):Federal Minister for Communications, Hafiz Abdul Kareem has said that national highways and motorways were imperative for socio-economic development of any country.
During his visit to the projects of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, Lahore Eastern Bypass and Peshawar- Karachi Motorway, the minister said the government under the mega project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was establishing an integrated system of national highways, motorways and expressways, a press release Tuesday said.
The western route of the CPEC was being completed on priority basis, the minister said adding that the government was making effort to complete the projects of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, Lahore Eastern Bypass and Peshawar- Karachi Motorway before the given schedule.
He stressed the engineers to speed up the construction work by utilizing modern techniques so that those projects would be completed at par with international standard.
On the occasion, the chairman of NHA told the minister that 78 percent work on different sections of Peshawar-Motorway has been completed while, 54 percent on the package-one of Lahore-Eastern Bypass and 83 percent of package-two has also been completed.
It was informed during the briefing that Lahore-Sialkot Motorway would be developed with cost of Rs43 billion.
The 16 km Lahore Eastern Bypass would be completed in May of this year, while a part of 230 km Peshawar-Karachi Motorway would be completed in the May, with cost of Rs148 billion.
Earlier, the minister was briefed about the projects of national highways in the regional office of National Highways Authority (NHA) Lahore.
The minister was accompanied by Chairman of NHA Jawad Rafiuqe Malik, Member of NHA Naveed Iqbal Wahla, Mansoor Ahmad Sarohi and the senior officials of the projects.