LAHORE: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz here Friday launched work on Lahore Eastern Bypass Project at Kala Shah Kaku that would connect with Lahore Ring Road, some 3.3 km away from Niazi Interchange.
On his arrival, along with Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain and other party leaders at the venue, hundreds of party workers and residents of Lahore raised slogans `dekho dekho kon aya, sher aya sher aya’ and `Long live Nawaz Sharif.’
The six-lane 16.5 km Lahore Eastern Bypass Project would cost Rs 28 billion and the speed limit on it would be 120 km per hour.
The bypass, starting from Mehmood Booti Interchange at Lahore Ring Road, would culminate at Kala Shah Kaku Interchange – the junction of GT Road and Lahore-Islamabad Motorway.
The construction of the bypass would facilitate the traffic at GT Road moving towards eastern and northern Lahore, divert besides curbing the heavy flow of traffic between Kala Shah Kaku and Lahore at Ravi Bridge and GT Road.
Keeping in view the Punjab Government’s proposed Shahi Bagh Park Project, this by-pass would open up avenues for development of tourism and trade in the area.
Brushing aside the tall claims and repeated predictions by certain opposition leaders, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday said the incumbent government would not only complete its five-year term but would also come to power again after 2018 polls due to its development agenda.
“Three and a half years have passed. One and a half year is remaining. It will follow the elections and Allah will bestow us with power again,” the prime minister said addressing a public gathering after launching work on Rs24 billion Lahore Eastern Bypass at Kala Shah Kaku here.
He said the wise political leader was the one who perceived the public desire, who just wanted deliverance from poverty, hunger, unemployment and inflation, besides wishing for colleges, hospitals and motorways.
The prime minister, who was accompanied by Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanveer Hussain and other party leaders told the gathering of thousands of party workers that in the bye-polls in Jhelum and Burewala, people have proved what they desired.
He said the two so-called leaders had been predicting the fall of the present government and trying to launch movement against it.
“You could have come to power in 2013 but now your chances are over,” he remarked addressing an opposition party without naming it.
The prime minister said after completion of Eastern Bypass, the people would be able to travel to Lahore without any traffic jam. It would be a six-lane facility, he added.
He also announced a road project between Baddu Malhi andKala Shah Kaku, an interchange on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway at Pindi Das point, Sher Shah Suri Road and an overhead bridge from Imamia Colony Railway crossing to Shahadra.
He thanked the people of Kala Shah Kaku for overwhelming support during his march from Lahore to Islamabad for restoration of judges in 2007.
In his address, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said the government had inherited several challenges like dysfunctional institutions, energy and economic crises and terrorism, but under the prudent leadership of the prime minister, the government had successfully tackled all these challenges.
He said load-shedding was about to end and foreign exchange reserves had reached $24 billion despite several conspiracies to impede the national development.
He said Pakistan could surpass Malaysia and Korea in development, if Nawaz Sharif was given 10 years to serve the country.
The minister lauded the vision and development agenda of the prime minister and said the latter would be remembered as `builder of Pakistan.’
He hoped that consequent to PML-N’s development plans, Pakistan would rise as a prosperous, strong, stable and are spectable country by 2018.
Criticizing certain opposition parties, the minister said they were serving the cause of anti-Pakistan forces through agitation and protest movement, but the nation would never let such forces succeed in their nefarious designs.
