PM urges nation to ‘regain its grandeur’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday urged the nation to make “determined and concerted efforts to make Pakistan regain its grandeur”.

Prime Minister expressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Bara Kahu Bypass, which would remove a major bottleneck for millions of commuters travelling to Murree, Kashmir, and Galiyat

The project, which began in October 2022, was executed within nine-month framework and cost Rs6.25 billion.

See: PM inaugurates Bhara Kahu Bypass

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his satisfaction with the project’s completion and its potential impact on the region.

He explained the crucial role the bypass would play in easing traffic congestion in Bhara Kahu, which had become a persistent issue affecting locals and tourists alike.

The prime minister acknowledged the challenges faced during the project’s execution, particularly the acquisition of land, which proved to be a hurdle in its initial stages.

He highlighted that during the tenure of the PML-N government, all development projects had faced delays due to various issues.

He said the bypass was the vision of Nawaz Sharif whose government was removed through the “worst conspiracy” and whose projects were impeded.

He said the previous governments had been “wasting billions of rupees” from the national kitty by impeding public projects.

He pointed out the Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant as an example, which was stopped despite having consumed billions of rupees. The money could have been used for public interest projects instead, he said.

He also said that the Metro Bus Project was completed within no time once the previous government was removed. He said environment-friendly electric buses were set to reach Islamabad for the facilitation of the residents of Islamabad.

The premier instructed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to plant a million trees around the Bhara Kahu Bypass, though around 70,000 have already been planted.

He thanked the party leadership for their support and contribution to the project and instructed the CDA to beautify Islamabad “like Baku of Azerbaijan”. He also appreciated the Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir for his dedicated support for the project.