Lawari Tunnel to revolutionize communications sector , says FMC Arbab Alamgir

Islamabad (Online) —The Federal Minister for Communications Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil has said that the completion of Lawari Road Tunnel will revolutionize the communications sector as well as bring an industrial revolution in the area, and we will also be able to establish strong road links with Central Asian States. 

The largest development and construction project of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwah province will be completed in 2011 with a cost of 17.50 billion rupees. 

He expressed these views while addressing a high level meeting which was called to review the progress report of Lawari Tunnel Project in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Communications, in which Federal Secretary Communications Sharif Ahmad Khan, GM of the project Abdul Samad Khan, Korean contractors and consultants and other high officials were also present.

The Federal Minister was told that 36% of the project has been completed and the whole tunnel will be completed at the end of this year, whereas, from November 2009 to 06 April 2010, over 6,000 people used this tunnel and for the first time in the country’s history, the road link of Chitral with the rest of the country remained intact throughout the year, which ensured unhindered supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and medicines and the people had to face no difficulty in the supply of essential daily items. 

The Minister ordered to speed up the construction work on the tunnel so that the promise of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto made to the people of Chitral should be fulfilled. Later on, the Federal Minister visited the world renowned institution the Construction Technology Training Institute (CTTI).

The Director of the Construction Technology Training Institute Col( R) Waqar Ahmad Noor, while giving a detailed briefing to the Federal Minister about the institute, told that 1500 thousand persons are under training from the country at the institute, who, after completion of three years’ diploma training will be able to serve in the country and abroad and earn handsome living. 

The Federal Minister instructed that branches of CTTI should be set up in other parts of the country so that more people may acquire technical training and become able to earn their living. The Federal Minister, while talking to the media, said that to facilitate the people of Chitral, Lwari Rail Tunnel has been converted into Road Tunnel.—Online