April 27, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1427

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AZAD PATTAN, April 26: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Mohammad Anwar Khan has criticised the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) for low standard construction of roads in the region.

The construction standard of Kashmir Highway, Azad Patan, Kahola and Holar roads was very low and the FWO has lost confidence among the Kashmiri people.

Speaking on an inaugural ceremony of Azad Pattan Bridge on the River Jhelum here on Wednesday, Sardar Anwar appreciated the National Highway Authority (NHA) and expressed the hope that it would maintain its standard while constructing roads and bridges in AJK.

He said communication links including roads play a vital role in development of a nation and opening of the bridge would benefit the districts of Bagh, Palandri and Rawalkot.

“Civilisation travels through roads and if there is no bridge it fells in the river,” he said.

Azad Pattan Bridge built by NHA, is about 70 kilometres far from Rawalpindi. The bridge was damaged in the 1992 floods along with three other bridges. The rebuilding started in 2003.

The rebuilding costed more than Rs115 million. It is 161.2 meters long and 7.3 meters wide.

President Khan said after the devastating earthquake reconstruction, poverty, unemployment and education were the main concerns in AJK.

He said the next elections in AJK would be free and fair. It was right of the people to elect their representatives according to their free will. “Ruling is a way to serve people,” he said adding that the agenda of the political parties should be welfare of the people.

Shahid Jamil Qureshi, minister of state for communications engineer, said that with construction of the network of highways and motorways, Pakistan would soon become hub of regional trade activities.

“The opening of Azad Pattan bridge was not helpful only in the development of the area but was also important from defence point of view,” he said.

He said the NHA was utilising all its potential to improve the national highways. Work on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway was in full swing and two of its sections were already open for traffic.