MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 19: The NWFP government has begun work on the improvement of a road in its jurisdiction that links the province with Azad Kashmir, AJK Communications, Works and Housing Minister Syed Mumtaz Ali Gillani said on Friday.

He told Dawn that he had met the NWFP governor in June and called upon him to order the improvement of the 6.5km road from Garhi Habibullah to Brarkot at Azad Kashmir’s border.

Mr Gillani said the AJK had been informed by the NWFP government’s works secretary that approval, design, tendering and award of contract for the scheme had been completed by the Frontier Highways Authority and the work had commenced from Oct 15.

The minister said though the scheme did not fall in NWFP’s annual development programme, it was specially approved by the governor in view of its importance for the people of Azad Kashmir.

The NWFP government, he said, had allocated Rs21 million for the scheme, which included a 30m single span bridge and was scheduled to be completed in April next year.

He said another Rs2.6 million had been sanctioned by the NWFP governor for improvement and carpeting of the road from Garhi Habibullah to Atar Shisha through Batrasi Hills.

The AJK works department was working on the widening and carpeting of the road from Muzaffarabad to Lohar Gali, whereas a similar work from Lohar Gali to Brarkot had been done, the minister said.