TARBELA GHAZI - A new network of motorways throughout Pakistan will soon open up new routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said yesterday.
New highways are the fastest road to economic development and will encourage new schools, colleges, universities, and factories, he said.
His comments were made in a campaigning-style speech at Cheechian Interchange, close to Haripur, where he inspected progress on the new Hazara Motorway ahead of a National Assembly by-election on Sunday. His party received a boost recently when the JUI-F announced it was supportingthe PML-N candidate.
The prime minister is hoping his vision of a nation of super-highways connec6ted to regional neighbours will fire voters’ imagination.
The first phase of the Hazara Motorway from Havalian to Mansehra will be completed in next few months, while the second from Burhan to Havailian will be ready in December 2016. Work on the Thakot to Gilgit Baltistan stretch is already underway, he said.
The motorway will be expanded from a four lane highway to six and will be a vital part of the Pak-China corridor which will drive a economic revolution throughout the country, he said.
Work on the Lahore to Karachi Motorway would also be started soon, opening up a new fast route from Karachi through to Peshawar. Work on the Karachi to Hyderabad section is already under way and will soon be completed.
The prime minister said he had ordered the chairman of the National Highways Authority to complete the Karachi to Lahore motorway within the next three years.
A new network of roads is also being opened up in Balochistan, including a new highway linking Quetta to Gwadar.
The government has trillions of rupees for them in the belief that they will speed an economic revolution in the country – creating new jobs and prosperity. More than 110 billion rupees would be spent on road projects this year with even more next year, he said.
Alongside roads, new gas and electricity generation projects are also under construction, and he was personally monitoring their progress, he said.
The Lawari tunnel, which was destroyed by the new Attabad Lake created by landslides in Gilgit of Attabad lake, has almost been rebuilt and will soon be seven kilometres long tunnel. It cost 27 billion rupees and will be opened at the end of this month.
Nawaz Sharif said the tunnel benefit those areas which connect the Pakistan with China.  The road from Khunjrab to Islamabad will spawn new development in prosperity in Gilgit Bilistan while the tunnel will end its ilsoation from the rest of the country.
The PML-N’s chances in the by-election were boosted after Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman ordered his party’s candidate to step down in favour of the prime minister’s party, although Pir Alim Zeb Shah said he would now stand as an independent.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned his supporters not to vote for the PTI candidate while other leaders warned dissidents who did not support the PML-N candidate could be expelled.