BAHAWALPUR: The Bahawalpur city has been omitted from the proposed alignment of the construction of the section Sukkur to Multan (375kms) of the Karachi-Lahore motorway project (M-5) costing about Rs700 billion which the federal government has pledged to undertake in near future.

This was stated during briefing by officials of the National Highways Authority for the media and those likely to be affected by its construction due to acquisition of their land along with the alignment. The stakeholders, office-bearers of NGOs and many people attended the briefing, which was advertised.

The gathering observed that the city’s exclusion from the proposed alignment was a deliberate act on the part of the NHA officials and needed an urgent review. It was pointed out to the NHA officials that the proposed alignment of the motorway was the negation of the announcement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and an injustice to the people of Bahawalpur.

The PM during his visit to the city had announced that Bahawalpur would be linked with the Karachi-Lahore Motorway. The participants urged the officials to revise the proposed alignment to connect the city with it.

The farmers to be affected by the project demanded expeditious payment of the compensation of their land in accordance with the market rates and other infrastructure to be damaged by the NHA.

The NHA officials said the proposed alignment of the motorway section from Sukkur to Multan would traverse adjacent to the cities of Rohri, Pannu Aqil, Ghotki, Guddu, Ubaro, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Zahir Pir and Jalalpur Peerwala.

They said the city would be linked with this section through a road about 80 to 85 kilometres either near Jalalpur Peerwala or Uch Sharif.

According to NHA Assistant Director Riaz Shah, this section of 375kms would cost an upward of Rs200 billion and they were focusing on road project to connect the southern and northern areas. The ground-breaking ceremony of this section is expected to be performed by the prime minister in 2015. Its construction is estimated to take 36 months to complete.

Earlier, officials of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) said the environment impact assessment (EIA) report of this mega project was prepared to conform with the requirements of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 (amended 2012). They said private firms and consultants were involved to undertake the required assessment to be implemented during the execution of the project, which also had a waste management plan.

BURIAL: A large number of people from all over the country attended the funeral prayers of religious scholar Maulana Siraj Ahmed Deenpuri.

The funeral prayers were led by his son Maulana Mian Masood Deenpuri at Khanpur’s city park from where the body was taken to Deenpur Sharif for burial.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2014