AJK prime minister talks on benefits of expressway under CPEC

Says they will ink agreement with federal government regarding Neelum-Jhelum project soon

ISLAMABAD: The Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mangla Expressway under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will bring economic revolution in the state, said Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Thursday.

Talking to Radio Pakistan, he said that this is a four-lane expressway with interchanges at Kohalla, Rarra and Lohar Galli near the capital city that would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs400 million.



He believed that the road will prove a milestone in the promotion of tourism and trade and economic activities in the state. Khan revealed that about Rs24 billion development budget has been spent on people’s welfare projects with special focus on communication sector to boost tourism and provide better travelling facilities.

The government has provided about Rs2 billion for construction of community bunkers at Line of Control, said the minister. The compensation to the victims of Indian firing has also been enhanced by the federal government, he added.



“The AJK and federal government will soon ink an agreement regarding the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.”

Responding to a question, he said lady health workers have been regularised while problems of police and other low paid employees would be addressed soon. Rs1.5 billion have been provided by the Punjab government to the students as scholarship and interest-free loans to the unemployed youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2017.

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