PM Imran approves ‘New Blue Area’ project

Plaque of Metro Bus Service project removed; Ring Road alignment finalised

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: In a bid to encourage commercial activities in Islamabad and to establish a passive income source for funding constructions under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project (NPHP), the federal government has decided to expand the existing size of the commercial area in the city by establishing another commercial zone.

In this regard, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the ‘New Blue Area’ project in a meeting held at the prime minister’s office on Monday, sources said. The premier decided to establish a new commercial zone in the federal capital for encouraging business activities and for this purpose, the sources informed, 170 Kanals land would be allocated near Sector F-9 Park while international standards would be followed in the construction of the new commercial zone. The project is estimated to generate up to Rs30 billion initially. This would be the first time in the history of Islamabad that the size of the commercial space would be doubled.

Further, the government has decided to utilise a part of the revenue generated from the commercial city in the form of rents and taxes for constructions under NPHP.  Besides that the project would encourage business activities in the capital, it will also generate employment opportunities.

Sources added that the premier has also directed the related authorities to improve the system of provision of basic amenities to the citizens.

In an interesting move, the district administration has razed the foundation stone of the metro bus project between the twin cities lain by the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The government had earlier renamed public parks in Rawalpindi as a measure to de-politicise development projects. The foundation of the project was laid by the ex-premier on March 23, 2014. The Express Tribune has learnt that the plinth on the Mall Road Chowk near Saddar metro bus station was demolished on Monday which had a plaque with Sharif's name.  The administration has given no explanation regarding the move so far.

The metro bus service is used by more than 0.2 million people every day. However, the roads on its route are not being well-maintained owing to which potholes have been formed at various spots.

Razing of the foundation stone is not the first such incident that the names belonging to opposition party Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) have been removed or changed. Earlier, the government changed the names of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif Parks in Rawalpindi.

Ring Road route alignment finalised

The reservations of lawmakers of Rawalpindi on Ring Road’s route alignment have been finally addressed in the third design after which the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and the legislators have reached a decision on the matter.

The problems in the first two designs arose after the identification of graves and houses in the project’s route.

The MPAs and MNAs of Rawalpindi had expressed their concerns on the issue and emphasised the executive agency, RDA, for changes in the route in the public interest. In this regard, a high-level meeting was held on Monday in which the officials of the consultant firm Zurich International gave a briefing to the lawmakers. The meeting was attended by the Provincial Minister of Revenue Malik Mohammad Anwar Khan, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan and other lawmakers including Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Chaudhry Adnan, Javed Kausar, and Haji Amjad Mehmood. The project’s route passes through the constituencies of the related legislators.

The consultant firm addressed the issues highlighted by the public representatives and briefed them regarding the changes done in the route alignment in the third design. The design received no objections from the lawmakers and was approved it unanimously.

Further, the Rawalpindi Commissioner Spokesperson Erfa Tahira endorsed this information to The Express Tribune. She said that all reservations of the public representatives had been addressed in the third design and a consensus on the road alignment was achieved. She added that as per new route alignment, there would be the construction of underpasses and flyovers without disturbing any kind of settlements.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2020.