Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Thursday) performed the groundbreaking of 103 kilometer-long Naukundi-Mashkhel road to enhance connectivity in Balochistan.
Addressing the virtual groundbreaking of the project in Islamabad this evening, he said the project will be a great facility to the scattered population of Balochistan. He said this project is of great importance for the development and future of Balochistan and to strengthen the federation of Pakistan. He said we can massively benefit from the natural resources by connecting Balochistan with other parts of the country.
The Prime Minister said massive road infrastructure will be built in Balochistan during five-year tenure of his government.
Talking about his vision of governance, Imran Khan said he wants rule of law and to help the downtrodden. He said no society can progress without upholding rule of law. He said all mafias are trying to blackmail the government to get immunity or NRO but he is determined to bring them all under the law.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Communication Murad Saeed said completion of this road would help promoting economic activities in the area.
The Minister said following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of austerity, National Highway Authority would soon become a self-sustainable institution. He said during PTI’s tenure, the authority’s revenue increased by 105 percent.
He said 20 billion rupees were accumulated in various recoveries, one billion rupees through austerity drive while land worth 460 billion rupees was also recovered.
The Minister said road infrastructure projects are being launched in the less developed areas of the country to bring them at par with other developed areas. He said network of roads is being laid down across the country through public and private partnership and under a new vision.
He said areas near the GT road would be connected to motorway network through Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi motorways, to be launched this year.
Murad Saeed said during our tenure, we constructed around 1753km of roads that created more than hundred thousand jobs in the country while planning for other 6100km of roads has also been completed.
It is pertinent to mention that Naukundi-Mashkhel road project will be completed in two years and help generate direct and indirect job opportunities for about four thousand people.
Areas adjacent to Naukundi-Maskhel section in Balochistan will greatly benefit from the construction of this road as it will provide them easy access to the Iranian border in less time. This will promote local trade especially that of dates which will mark a new beginning in the socio-economic development of these areas.
