GUJAR KHAN - A group of tourists from Germany and Austria visited the pink salt mines of Khewra on Tuesday, but their visit was marred by the disappointing state of the Lillah-Jhelum road. These visitors felt compelled to express their shock and concern over the miserable condition of the road and also left a note appealing to the government authorities to improve the condition of the road connecting Khewra. According to the details, a group of six tourists from Germany and Austria, including Mr. Hinterberger, Mr. Stecher, Ms. Jurga, Mr. Emil, Mr. Wilnis, and Ms. Ulrike made a special trip to visit the world’s second largest pink salt mines in Khewra, located in the Jhelum district. However, their journey was marred by the terrible condition of the road. These tourists couldn’t help but express their shock and disappointment. The tourists expressed their delight at visiting the facinating Khewra salt mines and made an appeal in a written note to construct the road. The dualization of the 128 km long Lillah-Jhelum road was approved in November 2021 with the funding of Rs. 16 billion and was expected to be completed in two years. According to sources, funds for the construction of the road have been frozen, and the old road was completely demolished by the contractor for dualization, depriving the locals and commuters of the previous road.
The objective of the dualization was to enhance road connectivity for travelers between Jhelum city at Grand Trunk Road (GT road) and the Motorway (M-2), with the added benefits of promoting tourism and trade in the region, but the delays in its construction have left the locals in a dire situation.
Sources in the tourism department have said that the number of visitors to the salt mines has significantly dropped due to the dilapidated condition of the Lillah-Jhelum road. According to these sources, some tourists even turn back upon encountering these unfavorable road conditions, and those who do make it to their destination often leave their feedback and concerns about the road.
According to local residents, they had organized weekly protests and road blockades in hopes of securing the funds needed to complete the road. Unfortunately, their efforts have not yielded the desired results. The residents have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to release funds for the resumption of road construction, saying that the lack of proper road linkage in the areas alongside the Lillah-Jhelum road has resulted in a negative impact on the provision of health and education facilities.
