PM Abbasi opens Havelian-Thakot motorway under CPEC

HAVELIAN: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Tuesday said the PML-N has successfully completed hundreds of development projects across the country, in an unprecedented feat in history, as it sincerely believed in serving the masses.

Inaugurating the 120-km long, Havelian-Thakot Motorway, an important section of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the prime minister said the party in pursuance of the vision of Nawaz Sharif has delivered on all its promises as it believed in the progress and prosperity of the country.

He said the PML-N throughout its five-year tenure remained committed and worked with dedication to bring about a real change by focusing on the under developed and remote areas of the country.

He said the PML-N does not believe in politics of sit-ins and use of foul language and has brought decency to politics. He said the people of Pakistan were a witness to the development undertaken by the Pakistan Muslim League and on July 25, would decide about their future, whether they want more progress, or they want to merely live on empty statements and hollow 100 day plans.

He said the project would connect the area with motorway network, opening a new era of public prosperity. He said the government has completed the project at a cost of Rs.142 billion and said it was not an ordinary feat to undertake such a huge project. He said owing to some technical difficulties the work on completion of the section up to Manshera has been delayed till November, however hoped that it would be completed by the next deadline.

He said the PML-N earlier completed 550 kms of motorways during its previous tenure and now it was undertaking work on 1700 kms of six lane international standard roads that would link Gwadar to Khunjerab and Peshawar to Karachi.

He said this would drastically cut down on the travel time and bring speed and efficiency and open doors of prosperity to the underdeveloped areas of the country.

He said apart from roads, the government in past five years completed projects on electricity, natural gas, universities and infrastructure and if voted to power, it would carry on its charter for taking Pakistan into the list of developed countries of the world.

He regretted that the previous governments failed in their obligations to serve the people and pushed the country back.

Prime Minister Abbasi unveiled the plaque for the inauguration of the project.

Earlier the Prime Minister was informed that the project starting from Havelian would pass through Abbottabad, Manshera, Shinkiari and terminate at Thakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project has been divided into three packages: Havelian-Abbottabad, Abbottabad-Mansehra, and Mansehra-Thakot. The work on Havelian-Thakot section began in 2017, and was scheduled to be completed by February 2020.

Work on Khunjerab-Raikot 335 km long section has already been completed, while work on 144 km Raikot-Thakot section was in progress at a rapid pace.

The Hazara Motorway from Hakla (M-1) to Shah Maqsood Interchange has already been completed and opened. He was also informed that a link from Khujerab to M-1 was being completed gradually. Completion of the project would pave the way for agricultural and industrial development and open up new avenues of economic uplift and generate new opportunities of employment.