69km rural roads for Punjab CM’s home district

E-Paper | March 13, 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government has decided to construct 69-kilometre long rural roads in Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s home district at a cost of Rs832 million, deviating from the prime minister’s directions to shun “constituency-based development schemes”.

The DG Khan Highway Division executive engineer has issued a notice for the prequalification of contractors (firms) for the construction of 23km metalled road from Kharar Buzdar to Hingloon Katch (Peer Ghnun), besides two strips — 29.4km and 16.6km — from Surthok to Theekar via Gata Rekih.

The separate cost of three strips of the metaled roads has been quoted as Rs259 million, 340m and Rs233.77m.

The notice demands submission of tenders till Oct 20 and explains that the contractors having experience of handling Rs200 million and above road projects in the tribal area of DG Khan and Rajanpur districts would be considered for the job.

Sources say that Prime Minister Imran Khan had openly opposed in a meeting with the Punjab cabinet members the “constituency-based development schemes”, saying the PTI government would not focus on such ventures.

They say the PTI government advertised the DG Khan roads construction schemes’ tender despite the fact that it had neither given its maiden budget, nor announced the Annual Development Programme (ADP) so far.

Since the prime minister had barred discretionary grants, sources in the Punjab government wondered from where huge funds had been allocated for the road construction schemes.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2018

Pakistan

Mansoor Malik is a reporter for Dawn with three decades of experience covering politics, governance, legislation, education, and health. He can be found on X at @mansoor691.

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Kumail

Oct 12, 2018 10:17am

His constituency actually deserved roads. Nothing wrong with that.

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AK Manjiwala

Oct 12, 2018 10:21am

Good decision by CM Punjab. Southern Punjab is as less developed as Baluchistan, FATA and KP. Punjab budget used to be spent on areas along GT road and more on Lahore for political mileage. There has to be justified spending on developments and should be under taken equally in all provinces and parts of the country.

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Solomon The King

Oct 12, 2018 10:22am

charity begins at home

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SYED BAQAR AHSAN

Oct 12, 2018 10:26am

start from worst area will bring parity

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SHAHID SATTAR

Oct 12, 2018 10:28am

Wouldn't providing him with a helicopter help? It can be used for sightseeing when not in official use.

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Hedonist

Oct 12, 2018 10:35am

Didn't NS spend on his home constituency?

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israr khan

Oct 12, 2018 10:42am

the development is based on requirement of south punjab and access to agriculture market, building of hospitals and education around these areas these ppl have land do not have development so its not just one constituency its everywhere in south punjab and then we will come to area between faisalabad and rawalpindi these areas has been deprived for ages , why only lahore gets development or daska and sialkot gets road networks

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AKB

Oct 12, 2018 10:42am

Well done CM Punjab.

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Malik Imran

Oct 12, 2018 10:51am

I'm PTI supporter but I think this wrong as why spen RS200m for one person? Why not develop roads for masses?

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Hamid

Oct 12, 2018 11:06am

I am from that area. You wont believe that we dont have roads there. No proper roads. Just mud tracks. It is very poor. And we have to go through DG Khan to visit Kharar. So stop doing ur biased coverage of CM Punjab. This area needs new projects. We were deprived from several years by People in power so if today we dont get our basic rights then when will we get them? People die in ways because u dont have roads for them.. Several accidents. His constituency needs projects so they can lift them from poverty. Stop this propaganda against Usman Buzdar

Recommend 0

Oct 12, 2018 11:10am

Good step. We need to spend a lot more on south punjab. This part of punjab has been treated as a step child and ignored by the Sharif Governments over the last 35 years. Good days are ahead for our brethren in south pubjab

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Hani_Layyah

Oct 12, 2018 11:22am

@Hedonist constituency ? No way bro.. he actually spent all on his royal villa, i.e, palace of Jati Umra... wish he could make his constituency as well. .

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Awan

Oct 12, 2018 11:33am

@Kumail Discretionary funds were banned by Imran Khan and CM is using the same fund to build the road. Everything is wrong with that.

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Dams First

Oct 12, 2018 11:41am

@Malik Imran Or better reserve the amount for dams.

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Fizza Jamal

Oct 12, 2018 11:44am

Shahbaz Sharif spent whole Punjab’s budget on Lahore....even funds allocated for hospitals in Seraiki wasaib were diverted to Lahore.....it is high time that proper attention is paid to least developed areas are Punjab......nothing wrong with spending on less developed areas......

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Hatim

Oct 12, 2018 11:45am

This is wrong. Development should not happen in one area just because it's the CM's constituency. This isn't democracy. Powers should be devolved. This is becoming a farce.

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BhaRAT

Oct 12, 2018 11:47am

Great decision he’s from South Punjab which is probably the least developed part of the country even less than KPK, Baluchistna and FATA

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SHAHID SATTAR

Oct 12, 2018 11:55am

@Hamid The present CM of Punjab has been a member of the previous assemblies, always joining the parties in power. What did he do with the resources which were allocated to him during that period?

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Salman

Oct 12, 2018 12:07pm

Welcome, to Naya Punjab. Someone commented, "His constituency actually deserved roads. Nothing worond with it. " Well definitely, there is nothing wrong with it. But it also desreved electricity. Nothong wrong with it as well. But only one catch. The chief could use a generator for his own home (he has been using it since dayone). But he can't use a road , exclusively for himself.

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A. ALI

Oct 12, 2018 12:11pm

There's no such thing like “constituency-based development schemes” its for people of that area... What's wooing in that ... media was muted by money when Zardari and nawaz were doing same ?

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ABCD

Oct 12, 2018 12:14pm

Good.

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M.Mudassir Siddiqui

Oct 12, 2018 12:21pm

What wrong with it! Its a development of a Constituency/District, unlike Lahore to Jati UMRA Road, purposely to serve particular dynasty. Secondly all funds of his District were directed to Lahore by Previous provincial Government, therefore its a long overdue development .

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SajjadX

Oct 12, 2018 12:22pm

@Hamid you also do not have much commercial or other activity there. Roads are prioritized in relation to current activity. You don't build roads in the middle of nowhere. This is blatant misuse of public money.

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Shib

Oct 12, 2018 12:30pm

One should appreciate that he spending public money on the welfare of public not syphoning off to UK to make properties...Like Sharif family and their cronies...

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Akil Akhtar

Oct 12, 2018 12:31pm

The criticism is now becoming laughable....

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Crusoe

Oct 12, 2018 12:36pm

@Malik Imran the road goes to the district and can’t be just used by one person as a single person doesn’t constitute a district.

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Riaz Ahmad

Oct 12, 2018 01:29pm

The most backward and deprived area in Punjab negleted and forgotton for decades, road connectivity is first and foremost priority to progress that will follow down the road in future. It is well deserved and crucial humanitarian, social and economic step in the right direction costing just a fraction of metros and orange line trains that gobbled the share of other areas in Punjab..

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Amna Riaz

Oct 12, 2018 01:35pm

Better than building road to Takht e Raiwind. Good decision.

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azmat shah

Oct 12, 2018 01:57pm

Its not a road to Raiwind estate for teh benefit of one family costing billions. Millions will be benefited. The areas is really backward. if he goes out after 5 years, without doing anything in this area, the very same media will go there with their cameras and " look, he hasn't done anything for his constituency, how can he claim to have done anything for Panjab" . Grow up

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azmat shah

Oct 12, 2018 02:00pm

@Awan where is it said that its coming from CMs discretionary fund?

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Ahram

Oct 12, 2018 02:04pm

I thought we were making hospitals and schools, not Roads.

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Raheel

Oct 12, 2018 02:29pm

Did you acrually say IK vision is to shun constituency based development? Well, who wuld.listen to it when IK himself has taken every U turn possible to his own spoken words be it loans, dollars etc. So need to.worry if others.dont follow like him

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Shah

Oct 12, 2018 02:42pm

I used to be against the division of Punjab because people who advocate for it are against the divisions of their own home states like Sindh and Baluchistan. Also, I love the fact that it is the largest sub-sate within the Muslim World. But one has to think rationally on such issues so I have changed my mind over time and it is articles like this one which has contributed to it. Punjab should be divided into North Punjab (NP) and South Punjab (SP) states for better leadership. But I am still very much against ethnic or linguistic based names such as Seraikistan.

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nazir

Oct 12, 2018 02:43pm

What about the other non-Buzdar constituencies in Punjab?

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just_saying

Oct 12, 2018 02:44pm

Cant ignore deprived region if CM belongs to that

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loya

Oct 12, 2018 02:47pm

There is an old saying in "Highways-Economics" "Wrong planning of Highways can destroy a country." The Regions in Rajanpur and D.G. Khan are still living in prehistoric time. The Approved road had the Priority over second Islamabad Murrree Road of Rs. 400m built by Nawaz to make it convenient for big brasses to enjoy Lavish Trips to Bhurban. That Hill Road after decades still requires costly maintenance.

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Tariq, Lahore

Oct 12, 2018 02:48pm

Though it's against IK directive but if it uplifts the backward area then it should be allowed.

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Tia Chupak

Oct 12, 2018 03:03pm

Its clear the govt position..do as I say, not do as I do!

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Asif A. Shah

Oct 12, 2018 03:22pm

The proper allocation procedures should have been followed for the allocation of this Usman Buzdar pleasing road project.

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MAD

Oct 12, 2018 03:29pm

@SHAHID SATTAR wrong. first time he is elected to the assembly.

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shafiq u rehman

Oct 12, 2018 03:37pm

DG Khan deserved more development project on emergency basis

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Rehan

Oct 12, 2018 03:47pm

I think it is better to build the road or this very educated CM will copy Khan and use the Helicopter.

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Adi

Oct 12, 2018 04:40pm

Well it would have been legal if done for whole of south punjab !

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Tahir Raouf

Oct 12, 2018 06:03pm

Naya Pakistan? Zindabad

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Anonymous

Oct 12, 2018 07:06pm

@Shah South Punjab still has big Punjabi speaking population as result of migration particularly in 1947 in exchange of Hindus and Sikhs. So South Punjab will be better babe than Saraiki province.

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M. Saeed

Oct 12, 2018 07:59pm

What a somersault of U-turns ! "Nobody should dare put any blame about wrong doing on CM Punjab, Buzdar....PM Imran Khan". Emboldened by this order beyond comprehension, the CM is building a road to his home district at a cost of Rs832 million, deviating from the prime minister’s directions to shun “constituency-based development schemes”.

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ukasha

Oct 13, 2018 06:56am

IK is looking for his replacement already.

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