FAISALABAD: Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif could not visit Faisalabad to inaugurate a motorway on Monday because of demonstrations by members of the Christian community in Lahore and other cities over Sunday’s suicide attacks on churches.

Arrangements had been made by the National Highway Authority for the inauguration ceremony and adequate security arrangement involving more than 1,000 personnel had been made.

In place of the prime minister, acting governor of Punjab Rana Mohammad Iqbal inaugurated the Faisalabad-Gojra section of the motorway (M-4), but did not address the people gathered for the occasion.

Know more: PM Nawaz inaugurates Karachi-Hyderabad motorway

The Faisalabad-Gojra section of M-4 is a 58-kilometre road constructed at a cost of Rs9.63 billion. The 4-lane fenced highway is part of the National Trade Corridor. It has 11 bridges, 55 underpasses and 30 subways.

Funded jointly by the Asian Development Bank and the federal government, the motorway has been built by a Chinese company.

Published in Dawn March 17th , 2015

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