BAHAWALPUR: The closure of Panjnad Headworks bridge for repairs and renovation for the last one a and a half years, has been adversely affecting the businesses along the Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar (KLP) highway stretch between Uch Sharif and Panjnad, besides causing losses to the transport owners and good forwarding agents.

The dilapidated bridge was declared dangerous by the highway authorities and closed for heavy vehicular traffic last year. Since then the Punjab highways department has been carrying out repairs and restoration work on the bridge.

Mujahid Hussain, an affected businessman, said the bridge closure has been adversely affecting the businesses of the owners of hundreds of shops, hotels, particularly fish shops and petrol pumps located along a stretch of some 15km between Uch Sharif and Punjnad Headworks.

Before the bridge closure, he said, heavy vehicular traffic going to Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mansehra, Abbotabad, Peshawar etc would pass through that stretch and provided business to the owners of shops, hotels, petrol pumps etc.

But, with the closure of the bridge, he said, all heavy traffic was diverted to another bridge near East Jhangra near Jalalpur Peerwala, depriving hundreds of people of their livelihood.

A number of other shopkeepers and petrol pump owners including Abdul Rashid and Muhammad Jamil also expressed concern over the slow pace of the repairs and renovation work on the bridge and demanded that it should be completed soon so that the business activities in the affected area could be revived.

Highways and irrigation departments officials told the media that the pace of work on the Panjnad bridge depended on the release of funds by the government. They said that as huge funds were required for the project, it might take some more time to complete.

They, however, said the government was expected to release funds in the near future, after which the work on the bridge would be expedited.

QAMC: Punjab health department has invited applications by Feb 2 to fill the vacancy of the principal of the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC), Bahawalpur.

The QAMC principal also heads as the chief executive officer (CEO) five local healthcare facilities.

The last QAMC principal, Prof Dr Javed Iqbal had retired last month and Prof Dr Khawaja Fayyaz Ahmed had been appointed as the acting head till the appointment of a permanent incumbent.

The government has also invited applications by Feb 2 to fill the vacant seats of principals of the Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal and Khwaja Safdar Medical College, Sialkot.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2020