Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated Metro Bus Service between Peshawar Morr and New Islamabad International Airport on Monday during a ceremony in the capital.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked China and Turkey for their cooperation and contribution to the Metro project during his address at the inaugural ceremony.

PM Shehbaz chastised the previous government and his rival Imran Khan for the needless delay in launching the Metro Bus service, which was scheduled to begin four years ago.

Shehbaz Sharif stated that if the previous government of Sarkar (Imran Khan) possessed any empathy for the people, the country’s most critical transportation project would not have been delayed for more than four hours.

Counting his accomplishments during his previous tenure as Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous province, the premier stated that the then-Punjab government completed pro-people projects such as the Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad metros and the Orange Line Metro Train with the assistance of the Chinese government.

The Prime Minister announced that the newly inaugurated Metro bus service will be free during Ramazan and will begin charging for rides after that.

He stated that the project’s unjustified delay resulted in a loss of Rs4 billion in addition to the project’s initial cost of Rs16 billion.

PM Shehbaz expressed gratitude to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for initiating this project in 2017 for the benefit of the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. “Wherever there is a will, there is a way,” said Shehbaz Sharif. The federal government has lent the Punjab Transport Authority 15 buses to expeditiously operationalize the bus service.”

He urged his allies to match his haste in completing tasks and projects aimed at the country’s improvement.

PM Shehbaz enquired of the populace whether they wanted to support the current government’s development or the previous administration’s lies. He commended CDA and NHA officials for carrying out his directive to operationalize the project within five days.

Shehbaz Sharif had directed that work on the project be resumed and completed on a priority basis following his appointment as Prime Minister.

Thousands of passengers will be served daily by the bus service, which will meet international standards. The Metro Bus Service will be expanded to Rawat in the future.

The Prime Minister also took a Metro Bus ride on this occasion. The premier expressed gratitude to Mustafa Yurdakul, China’s Charge d’Affaires and Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan.