SIBBI, Sep 1 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
Thursday inaugurated the 174-kilometer road connecting Sibbi with Kohlu.
The prime minister was accompanied by Balochistan Chief
Minister Sanaullah Zahri, Minister for Port and Shipping
Mir Hasil Bazenjo and Adviser to the PM on National Security
Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua.
The multi-billion rupee project is the shortest road link
between Balochistan and Punjab provinces.
Work on the project was halted in 2006 owing to law and
order situation. However, it was revived after the government signed a contract with National Logistics Cell in 2014 to accomplish the half-complete project.
The contractor managed to complete the remaining 60
per cent of the work within one and a half year.
The road has been opened to public transport and private
vehicles.
The road will also help transport the agriculture produce, besides enriching the business activities in the area.
The Prime Minister said the goal of progress could
not be achieved without infrastructure development and
that was why the roads construction was his government’s
top priority.
The previous governments, he said, either did not
think of developing roads or showed blithe concern for their
completion.
He viewed that before investing their capital, the investors first question as to how they would transport their products to local or international market and in the absence of road infrastructure, they could not be convinced.
The prime minister said the government was determined to
develop road infrastructure across the country, particularly
the areas where there was no concept of roads.
“We have broken the back of terrorists. The internal and
foreign forces disrupting peace in Balochistan have been
exposed,” he said paying tribute to the services and
sacrifices of the armed forces to foil the nefarious designs
of the enemy.
He said the time had come when the people of Balochistan
were getting their usurped rights. Their decades old
deprivation was being addressed just as this road had been
completed.
Earlier, the people of Sibbi had to travel through DI
Khan and Lora Lai to reach Kohlu and now the distance had been
shrunk to 174 kilometers from 600 kilometers, he added.
He said the project would not only facilitate the people
of far flung areas but also help the businessmen to transport
their products.
As suggested by NLC Director General Major General
Mushtaq Ahmed Faisal, the prime minister directed the
Balochistan chief minister to develop schools and dispensaries or hospitals in the area.
The prime minister announced the construction of a
20-kilometer road between Sibbi and Talli and 80-kilometer
road linking Kohlu with Rakhni.
Mentioning his visit to Gwadar earlier in the day, he
said he was pleased over the development going on there and reiterated that Gwadar would be developed as the best city of the country.
The development in Gwadar, he added, would have a
countrywide impact and Balochistan’s backward and far-flung
areas would be linked with main highways.
Nawaz Sharif said he was personally overseeing the
development projects in Balochistan to ensure their timely
completion so that the people could get benefit from the mineral resources thus enhancing the country’s exports.
He said roads were a source to enhance national unity,
besides bringing the people closer to one another.
He said besides taking steps to alleviate poverty, the
government desired that the whole nation should get equal
opportunities of development.
He said after completion of the Gwadar Port and CPEC, the
investors from worldwide would turn up to Pakistan and the
enemies would only get disappointment.
The prime minister also congratulated the NLC team for
completing the project and lauded the sacrifices by the security personnel and the people of Balochistan for national development.
He said the hard days were over and the future would be
far better than the past.
“The journey of Balochistan’s development has started.
We will not rest until we reach the destination,” the prime
minister added.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zahri thanked the
prime minister for taking special interest in the development
of the province and the NLC team for successfully completing the project.
He urged the people to take care of the important road
project that would enhance their connectivity with different
cities of the province, besides providing them the shortest link to the Punjab province.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Minister
for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Sun Weidong, Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz and notables of the area.
