SIALKOT, Sept 27: The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other main trade bodies have demanded construction of the Sialkot-Lahore motorway.
In a representation to the president, the prime minister and the chief minister, the chamber has stated that Sialkot is connected to Lahore through the Daska and Gujranwala Road, which cannot handle the traffic volume which resulted in several road accidents every other day. It takes three hours to reach Lahore through this road.
Earlier, Punjab Industries and Investment Minister Ajmal Cheema had assured the businessmen that he was working on different proposals to build the motorway on a build operate and transfer basis.
The main Sialkot-Daska-Gujranwala Road had been constructed and widened 15 years ago by the then provincial government. Since then, the traffic here has increased by almost six times, causing much damage to it.
The local chamber and trade bodies have repeatedly demanded the Punjab government to convert this main road into motorway.
FISHERMEN ROBBED: Around 70 fishermen of Rangpura were robbed of cash and mobile phones by six gunmen near Canal Sarai Alamgir on Monday.
They told police that their bus was intercepted near the canal when they were on way to Mangla dam for fishing. The robbers had erected hurdles and they had to stop, they added.
The said the robbers held them at gunpoint and snatched more than 72 mobile phones and Rs300,000 in cash.