Connecting to the south

I want to the draw the attention of the prime minister, the chief minister of Punjab and the Punjab highways department to the dilapidated and bumpy plight of the Talagang-Mianwali single road. It is a very important route, and connects with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by touching D I Khan, Balochistan as well as the South Waziristan area up to its end tail. As the vehicle disembarks from the Balkasar Interchange, the journey at least towards Mianwali/Chashma takes five to six hours because of the single and bumpy road and heavy traffic.

Even from Chashma to D I Khan, the road is single and narrow. But the volume of inter-provincial traffic (passengers and cargo) is increasing day by day. One does not even find any rail link from Kundian Junction to Dera Ismail Khan and up to Zhob and Quetta. So the southern part of the country is badly lacking multi-communication linkages. The people of this belt are deprived of a quick and clean mode of transport. It is hoped that the concerned authorities will pay heed to this important route.

Shagufta Ansari

Islamabad