SIALKOT: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has given the finally approval of two mega projects of establishing the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway and an international standard University of Engineering and Technology at Sialkot, saying that both of these mega projects would be helpful in socio-economic and human development of Sialkot as well.
Federal Minister for Defence, water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif disclosed this while addressing an important meeting of Sialkot business community held at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here today.
Khawaja Asif added that PM Nawaz Sharif has approved a mega project of establishing 90 KMs long Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project, saying the region’s remote and rural areas have been connected to this motorway.
He said that the 90 KMs long Sialkot-Lahore Motorway would be constructed on Build-Operate and Own (BOT) system and the total estimate cost of Rs 45 billion, saying that the construction work on this motorway project would be started in October 2015. He revealed that the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project would be completed in the stipulated period of next two years, saying that the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project would open the new vistas of socio-economic and human development in Sialkot region, especially in Pakistan’s first ever Golden Export Triangle comparing Sialkot, Gujrat and Gujranwala districts as well.
He said that the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway would start from Sahowala-Sambrial and will end at Kala Shah Kaku via Daska, Gujranwala and Kamonki.
He said the project of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project has a great commercial viability, which would be expanded to Kharian from Sambrial in the second phase of this project, saying that the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway would be the busiest road in the country following the growing flow of traffic in this region.
He said that National Highway Authority (NHA) has short listed only two companies (including FWO and a foreign company) for allotting the contract of construction of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway on BOT basis.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif added that the PM Nawaz Sharif has also approved the mega project of establishing an international standard Engineering and Technology at Sialkot, saying that the work on this university project would begin in 2016. He assured the Sialkot business community that the advanced technologies would also be brought to Sialkot Technology University to meet the growing need of export industries of Sialkot.
Later, talking to the newsmen at SCCI, Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the burning issue of Nandipur Power Plant Project would be resolved amicably within the next couple of days. He made it clear that the actual cost of Nandipur project was only Rs.58 billion not Rs. 84 or 88 billion as being aired on different channels in different talk shows.
He said Nandipur project was a sensational issue, which was being resolved amicably.
He said that there was three-month long delay in the completion of Nandipur Power Plant Project, saying that there some technical faults in this project, which would soon be converted on gas as well.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the government was resolving al the prolonged and perturbing problems of the business community, disclosing that federal government has allocated as many as Rs.22 billion for the early clearance of refunds claims related to country’s leather, sports goods and surgical industries.
He revealed that government was making all out sincere efforts to ensure the continuity of its trade and economic policies by taking the business community into confidence, besides, paving the way towards the goal of economical stability in the county, saying that the continuity of the long and short term economical policies was vital to boost the national economy and to take the national economy in taking-off position.
He hoped that the Pakistan’s economy would grow and flourish soon as it needed hard work and long struggle to boost the country’s economy.
Asif has stressed upon the need of the continuity of the business and trade-friendly policies for economical stability in the country, saying that PML-N government’s effective and positive economical policies were helping in restoring the confidence of the national and foreign investors and these policies were now bearing fruits due to which national economy was moving ahead towards the goal of economical stability, saying that the federal government was successfully implementing on several effective and positive economical policies and these policies were now bearing fruits. He also reaffirmed to complete the past economical development agenda of the PML-N.
He linked the national economical prosperity with the political stability and continuity of the economical and export development policies in the country. He added that the national economy was moving in the right direction towards the goal of political and economical stability, saying that the country needed the development of the human resources for the continuous economical growth as well.
He added that the government was fully aware of the prolonged perturbing problems of the business community and making all out sincere efforts for their amicable solution. He said that the government was also strengthening national economy and boosting the industrial structure, besides, striving to overcome the menace of the prolonged persisting energy crisis.
He said that the reforms agenda by the PML-N would be a mile stone in achieving economic stability , exterminating corruption , strengthening the institutions and solving the problems of the masses.
Asif highly hailed the spirit of self help of Sialkot exporters, which has established Asia’s first ever Sialkot International Airport at Sialkot in private sector. He said that the Sialkot International Airport also has a huge potential of cargo exports by the international airlines, which had been offering the lucrative air freight packages here.
He added that the Sialkot exporters had been earning precious foreign exchange to the tune of US $ 1.8 billion annual , besides, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy and boosting the national exports as well.
Local MNA Ch. Armughan Subhani, MPAs Ch. Muhammad Ikram, Ch. Tariq Subhani, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Fazal Jillani, VP Malik Naseer, Central Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ejaz A. Khokhar and Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Younas were also present on this occasion.
