WB help sought to link three hilly areas of Pindi
World Bank. PHOTO: FILE
The Punjab government has prepared a project to link all three mountainous tehsils of Rawalpindi district with World Bank (WB) funding, The Express Tribune learnt on Monday.
The project, meant to boost tourism, will connect tehsils of Murree, Kotli Sattiyan, and Kahuta with three roads to make connectivity easier for visitors.
The project also includes cementing of the old mule-track starting from Dhanoi Bungalow to Kotli Sattiyan. It will offer an added attraction to nature lovers to take a mule or horse ride through the hills.
Moreover, the project envisages construction of a double road between New Murree and Kotli Sattiyan while another road will be built between Kotli Sattiyan and Narh Panjpir.
In this regard, the Punjab Chief Minister Adviser on Tourism Asif Mehmood confirmed the development while talking to The Express Tribune. He informed the World Bank has agreed to fund the project.
The official said that all three tehsils of Rawalpindi were filled with mesmerising sceneries while the tourists could witness Jhelum River, Faisal Mosque, and Murree Hill Station from Panjpir Rocks too.
Mehmood said that the rest houses in Panjpir have been renovated, while benches have also been installed on different locations.
He added that washrooms were also being built at the tourist spot and the development work would complete by January next year.
The official said that a big cultural festival would be organised to mark the inauguration of the renovated tourist site and Prime Minister Imran Khan would participate in the event too.
Tourist sites to be developed in Jhelum
The provincial government is working to develop tourism in the Jhelum district, focussing on the two major attractions including the Rothas Fort and the Tilla Jogian.
This was stated by the Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister for Horticulture and Tourism Asif Mehmood the other day when he visited the Domaily area of Jhelum.
During his visit, Mehmood attended a cultural programme and a traditional bullfight in the Gaziut Guttar area.
The top three position holders were given motorcycles, trophies, flags and cash prizes.
Later, while speaking to the media, Mehmood said that he learnt a lot about the local culture, suggesting that next year, the government could provide patronage to the bullfight. He added that their government is working to promote tourism in the region.
Mehmood further rejected the notion that there is a fracture within the party or if a forward bloc is forming.
“I am the advisor to the chief minister of Punjab, I am with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and I am in touch with everyone,” he said, adding, “Let me make it clear today that there are no separate factions.”
He added that they are working to reorganise the party, for which they started at the district level and have completed organization until the tehsil and union council levels. Now the next step is to form wards.
With additional input from Raja Naubahar in Jhelum
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2020.