MURREE: Citizens of the hill station and adjoining areas have appealed to the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to allocate funds for refurbishment of Murree-Kohala Road which has been lying in tatters for quite some time.

The road connects Punjab with Azad Jammu and Kashmir and is considered to be a major artery between Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.

The locals from Phagwari, Alyot, Sehrbhagla and adjoining areas, who regularly commute on Murree-Kohala Road, blamed the incompetence of the provincial government and alleged negligence of the department concerned for their miseries.

The road, situated just a few kilometres away from the residence of the prime minister, is filled with potholes, especially from Lower Topa to Kohala.

The area people claimed that the Sharifs travel almost every weekend particularly in summer to Murree but use the Expressway.

Speaking to this correspondent, the residents of the area claimed that they had lodged several complaints with the authorities concerned but to no avail.

Mohmmad Ishtiaq, a regular commuter of this road, said the provincial highway authority had failed to fill the potholes which appeared on the road a year ago.

He said the negligence not only damaged light and heavy transport but had become a major source of many unfortunate accidents.

An official of the highway department told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the chief minister had sanctioned Rs50 million for the repair of the road in his previous tenure but the funds had not been released as yet.

He said with the release of funds repair work would be initiated.

When contacted, Sub Divisional Officer Chaudhry Dilashad said he took charge of the highway department a few months ago and was trying his best to sort out the problem.

He said annual maintenance fund for the hilly areas had not been allocated for the last few years, adding that he had taken up the issue with the provincial authorities.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2014