Civil-military harmony lifeline for progress, says Ahsan

ABBOTTABAD: Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said that civil-military harmony is lifeline for the country’s development and progress.

He asked the political parties to shun the politics of sit-ins as it had ruined the atmosphere of universities and was also harmful for the country and political parties. Ahsan Iqbal invited Dr Tahirul Qadri to come to the table to redress the grievances or to use the doors of institutions, which was the right way as currently Pakistan was passing through hard times and facing multiple threats from its enemies.

Ahsan Iqbal was talking to media persons at Havelian after inspecting the Hazara Motorway, which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on December 28. Ahsan Iqbal, accompanied by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, parliamentary leader in the KP Assembly Aurangzeb Nalotha and others, showed satisfaction at the progress of the construction work of the motorway, as its ground-breaking was performed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014 and would link Abbottabad with the main M-6 Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. After its completion, the journey to Islamabad would be cut down to 45 minutes from Havelian to Burhan Interchange.

The Hazara Motorway project was initiated by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on November 29, 2014 as it is 60 kilometers, six-lane route, which was earlier 4-lane motorway from Burhan to Havelian with the total initial cost of Rs34 billion for 60 kilometres. The target time then was 18 months in two phases.

Earlier, the NHA chairman in his detailed briefing discussed the salient features of the Hazara Motorway. Ahsan Iqbal directed the NHA chairman to increase the strength of the trainee engineers (associated asid that maximum number of young and junior engineers should be recruited with the minimum payment of Rs25,000 as stipend with all those projects linked to CPEC and preference should be given to the local people. He also said that all the universities which fell along the China Pakistan Economic Corridor route should be involved in the execution of the projects. id that maximum number of young and junior engineers should be recruited with the minimum payment of Rs25,000 as stipend with all those projects linked to CPEC and preference should be given to the local people. He also said that all the universities which fell along the China Pakistan Economic Corridor route should be involved in the execution of the projects.