CM Mahmood Khan inaugurates Mansehra-Thakot section of Hazara Expressway

MANSEHRA: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday formally inaugurated the Mansehra-Thakot section of the Hazara Expressway.

“Our province has a great tourism potential in Hazara and Malakand divisions and we can promote this sector to a new height after completion of this expressway,” the chief minister told the inaugural ceremony of Mansehra-Thakot section of the Hazara Expressway here. The chief minister, who credited Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed for the early completion and opening of the artery, said that 180km Hazara Expressway from Hassanabdal to Thakot was completed with a cost of Rs133 billion.

“This mega road project has been completed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiatives, which would prove to be the backbone of the country’s economy and provide employment opportunities to a large portion of the population,” he added. The CM said that the motorways’ second phase was also in progress in Swat, which would not only promote tourism in the Malakand division but also provide employment opportunities to a great number of people. He criticised the opposition leaders for what he said anti-country policies and propaganda against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. “Those who got votes using the name of Islam have launched a propaganda against us, saying that our government diverted Dir district’s development funds to motorway project for Swat despite knowing well that funds meant for the CPEC projects couldn’t be diverted to anywhere else,” he said. “This has happened for the first time in the history of the country that the federal government approved six mega development projects for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all credit goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he added. The CM said that mega projects like the Rashakai to Chakdara and Swat Motorway and Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan roads were included in that six mega projects. In a veiled reference to the PML-N and its leadership, the chief minister said they claimed that three airport projects were established in the province but he didn’t see even a single of them as yet. “Those who completed mega development projects only in papers have been criticising our government but I couldn’t see any airports, which they claimed to have competed in our province,” said Mahmood Khan. Speaking on the occasion, National Highway Authority chairman Captain (Retd) Sikandar Qayyum said that Mansehra-Thakot section of the Hazara Expressway was opened to traffic after CM Mahmood Khan provided traffic wardens on the request of the Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed. The then PM Nawaz Sharif had opened work on the project in April 2016 and it is part of CPEC.