Daily Times

Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and Chief Minister Sindh Maqbool Baqar inspected the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project. CM Naqvi reviewed the progress made after his earlier visit and appreciated the performance of Commissioner Rawalpindi and FWO.

CM Naqvi drove the vehicle for a detailed inspection of the project site along with the Sindh chief minister and directed to utilize additional machinery for road levelling to accelerate the work as both the chief ministers inspected the construction work at UC Tarahiya. He directed to accelerate the pace of work for early completion and asked NESPAK to provide necessary project drawings without delay. Work has been started on the Baanth and Chak Beli Interchange of a 38.3 km long six-lane ring road along with the removal of structure on the right of way.

CM Sindh Maqbool Baqar appreciated the development schemes in the Punjab province including Rawalpindi Ring Road and added that Karachi’s issues can also be resolved through Liyari Expressway and Karachi Circular Railway projects. CM Naqvi assured of full cooperation on behalf of the Punjab government for development schemes and termed Rawalpindi Ring Road a public welfare scheme. He directed to work in three shifts for its timely completion and noted that this road link would permanently resolve the traffic issues in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Both the chief ministers also took an aerial view of the 38-kilometer-long route. Information Minister Amir Mir, commissioner, RPO, CPO DC and FWO officials were also present.

Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi chaired the meeting of the joint review committee of foreign-funded projects at the P&D Board. Country Directors of World Bank Mr Najy ben Hassan and Asian Development Bank Mr Yong Ye and representatives of other donor agencies attended the meeting along with the Federal Secretary Economic Affairs Division, administrative secretaries and high officials.

Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Chairman P&D Iftikhar Sahu briefed the participants while the CM assured taking every possible step for the timely completion of schemes. Work was in progress to complete 12 World Bank-assisted projects worth 2456 million dollars and 8 other schemes of the Asian Development Bank with a total value of 849 million dollars in the province. Work was in progress on different projects including Punjab tourism for economic growth, agriculture and rural transformation, green development and city program in collaboration with the World Bank while WB and other agencies were also collaborating for the completion of the national health program.

CM Naqvi further assured to achieve targets in transport, environment and family planning sectors adding that WB and ADB’s assistance in this regard would be welcomed. He stated that the government was striving to achieve better results with solid teamwork as the fastest response was imperative to complete development schemes. The provincial government was burning the midnight oil as it intends to further enhance collaboration with ADB, WB and other donors, he added. Mr Hassan appreciated the institutional reforms undertaken by the Punjab government.

Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi said that he salutes his Kashmiri brothers and sisters over enduring every sort of Indian barbarity as well as tyranny and pays tributes to the martyrs. Lakhs of Indian military soldiers have kept the unarmed Kashmiris under detention and the Kashmiris are imprisoned in their own houses. CM Mohsin Naqvi in his message on the eve of “Black Day” against Indian aggression stated that the obnoxious thinking of RSS has been fully exposed over committing inhuman besiege, oppression and torture on the innocent Kashmiris. The silence of the world and international community holds neither rhyme nor reason over day by day deteriorating situation of Indian Held Kashmir. The liberation spirit of the Kashmiri people will win for them independence as it is their fundamental right. CM urged the international media and human rights organizations to vociferously raise their voice for the freedom of Kashmiris. The Kashmiris have proved that India by employing barbarous and atrocious power cannot subdue the independence movement of Kashmiri people. CM Mohsin Naqvi vowed that Pakistan will continue its diplomatic and moral support for their Kashmiri brothers and sisters. We have to remind the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir today that they are not alone in their freedom struggle and the Pakistani nation is standing shoulder to shoulder with them.