Work on Karachi–Chaman highway begins: PM

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that work on the long-awaited Karachi–Chaman highway, often referred to as a bloody road due to frequent accidents, has formally begun and will now be completed within a year instead of the originally planned two years.

Addressing the federal cabinet members before the meeting, the prime minister said he had recently visited Quetta, where the foundation stone of the nearly 850-kilometre highway was laid.

He said the Ministry of Communications had proposed a two-year completion timeline, but he had directed that the project be finished within one year. “The project will cost approximately Rs400 billion, to be fully financed by the federal government,” he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled that around six months ago, when international oil and petroleum prices were plummeting, the government had decided to retain prices domestically. He said the savings generated from that decision were now being utilised to transform the dangerous highway into a road of prosperity.

PM Sharif said a Rs75 billion agricultural package for farmers had been completed. “Of this amount, Rs50 billion was provided by the federal government. The package had successfully addressed the long-standing issue of electricity theft in the province.

Through the installation of solar panels, farmers are now able to irrigate their lands independently, ensuring sustainable agricultural activity,” he said.

The prime minister also announced significant progress on the establishment of Danish schools in the province. He said construction had not only been initiated but contractors had already been mobilised during the current month.

“Five Danish schools are already planned, while two additional schools have been announced during his visit, bringing the total to seven,” he added.