Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the government would invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court after the High Court (LHC) nullified the Ravi Urban Development Project.

Speaking to media during his visit to Rakh Jhok forest, the prime minister said this time, the case would be presented in a better manner to apprise the honourable court about the significance of the project in view of urban development and civic facilities. The prime minister said there was a misconception about the Ravi Urban project that it was a housing society. Instead, he said, the grand project aimed at correcting the faults in the wake of unplanned construction of the city.

He highlighted the salient features of the project including plantation of two billion trees as part of forestation, construction of barrages to up water table and filtration of sewerage.

He said the $20 billion project would provide employment and encourage foreign investment, adding that already Rs1.5 billion had been received in this regard. Imran Khan said wealth creation would help run 40 affiliated industries.

“We need to set up new cities in view of the growing population, otherwise we will not be able to provide civic facilities to people,” he said.

He mentioned that Lahore in near future could face similar civic problems like Karachi as result of unplanned urban development.

He regretted that the Sindh government did not allow construction at Bundal Island which was also a mega project in line with planned development of cities. Meanwhile, the prime minister Friday expressed the government’s commitment to rid the country of terrorism. “We are resolute in our commitment to rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism,” he said in a tweet, as a terrorist incident on Thursday took lives of 10 soldiers in Balochistan’s Kech area.

The prime minister paid tribute to the martyred soldiers who laid their lives in the line of duty. “Our brave soldiers continue to lay down their lives to keep us safe from terrorists. I salute the 10 martyred soldiers who repulsed a terrorist fire raid on checkpost in Kech Balochistan,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the “fire raid” by terrorists occurred on the night of Jan 25-26.

“During intense exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed and several injured. While repulsing terrorists’ fire raid, 10 soldiers embraced martyrdom,” the statement said.

It added that three terrorists had been apprehended in the follow-up clearance operation, which it said was still in progress to hunt down the perpetrators of the incident. “The armed forces are determined to eliminate terrorists from our soil no matter what the cost,” the ISPR statement said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday visited the Central Business District where he was given a detailed briefing on the project. The prime minister was briefed that Rs24 billion had so far been invested in the first phase of the project. The project will provide world class business center and accommodation facilities in heart of the provincial capital. In addition, measures such as environmental protection, green roofs, urban parks and rainwater harvesting are part of the plan.