PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Peshawar is set for another major road infrastructure project after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi laid the foundation stone of a new flyover at the Ring Road and GT Road intersection.
The project, estimated to cost Rs6.2 billion, is designed to improve traffic flow at a key junction in the provincial capital. It comes as the provincial government pushes ahead with its wider Rs200 billion Peshawar Revitalisation Plan, which includes further road and infrastructure improvements.
The planned flyover will stretch 640 metres and feature two lanes on a dual carriageway. The project also includes the construction of a 4.5-kilometre road, forming part of the wider effort to upgrade Peshawar’s transport infrastructure.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Afridi described the flyover as an important project for the city and said its completion would bring a noticeable improvement in traffic movement.
He said work on the Rs200 billion Peshawar Revitalisation Plan was progressing rapidly, adding that the provincial government would soon inaugurate work on the Outer Ring Road.
The broader development programme is intended to improve road connectivity and urban infrastructure across Peshawar, with the government pursuing multiple projects to address transport and civic needs.
Afridi also announced plans for a motorway connecting Peshawar with Dera Ismail Khan, saying the province would see a year of development activity. He said the provincial government was undertaking development projects in line with the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, adding that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had consistently voted for him.
Political tensions
Alongside the infrastructure announcements, the chief minister addressed the political situation surrounding the PTI founder, reiterating his demands for a meeting with Khan and access to medical treatment.
Afridi said political forces normally resolve disputes through dialogue and claimed his side had waited for nine months. He questioned why demands for a meeting with the party founder and arrangements for his treatment should be considered unconstitutional or unlawful.
He also alleged that court and judges’ orders were not being implemented, without specifying the orders to which he was referring.
The chief minister said threats of imposing an emergency or governor’s rule would not deter them. He warned that any response to an undemocratic move would come from the public rather than from him personally, arguing that people would react if undemocratic measures were taken in a democratic country.
Afridi also addressed speculation about differences within his party, saying he had made no remarks about former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and insisting that unity remained intact within their ranks.
Commenting on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor’s meeting, Afridi described it as “unconstitutional.” He said his dispute was not with the individuals brought to the forefront but with those who, in his view, had placed them there.
Opposition to operation
The chief minister also reiterated his opposition to a military operation in the province, saying his position would remain unchanged if such an operation were proposed.
His remarks came as he outlined the provincial government’s development plans while maintaining his demands concerning the PTI founder and criticising what he described as pressure on the provincial administration.