Construction work at the New Terminal Building of Multan International Airport
Solar LED Area Flood Lights in Badin Sep3, 2012
Lowari Tunnel project will be completed within three years'
Federal Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil said on Thursday that the lowari tunnel project would be completed at a cost of Rs 18 billion within the stipulated period of three years, saying that the construction work was being carried with full swing on the mega-development project.
Talking to reporters, during a visit on site to the project, he rejected the negative propaganda by political forces regarding the Lowari tunnel scheme, and said that the government was giving top priority to this national projection this occasion, General Manager NHA Luwari Tunnel Colonel Retired Suleman, Project Director Habeeb-ur-Rehman and Country Director SAMBU Oh Sunghoon and other high officials were also present.
The Federal Minister said that the PPP-government had taken proactive steps for the development of the country as a whole, particularly in the northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including district Chitral. "We want to remove the sense of deprivation among the underprivileged areas of the country", he maintained.
He stated that the Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf planned to visit the district Chitral very soon, saying that Chitral was the hub of the PPP and had a stronghold in this region. He said that the party would be further strengthened in district Chitral, adding that the PPP would give more attention and extend support to honest workers and real followers of Quaid-e-Awan Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Dr Alamgir said that after completion of the mega Lowari Tunnel scheme it would usher a new era of development in multi-dimensional areas, and fields, including trade, tourism, industry and agriculture in the region. "It will also provide a safe and easy travel facility for locals and play an important role for the economic development of the country", he said.
The Federal Minister said that political forces had raised negative propaganda against the mega-scheme to gain political mileage, saying that the project would be completed in due course of time, as it was initiated by the PPP-founder Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
He informed that construction work was halted on Lowari Tunnel due to the poor law and order situation in the region, while funds constraint was also a big issue behind the delayed project. After improving the security situation, he informed that the government had reimbursed the Korean firm SAMBU to reinitiate development work on the project.
Later on, the Federal Minister also held a meeting with the PPP office bearers from Chitral former member provincial assembly Zainul Abideen, Senior Vice President PPP Syed Burhan Shah, General Secretary Muhammad Hakeem Advocate, President PPP Sub-division Chatral Shareef Hussain, General Secretary Khoosh Muhammad.