THE original plan for Rawalpindi Ring Road had envisaged a much shorter route between Soan Camp and Tarnol. A road connecting Soan Camp and Islamabad Expressway was also considered so that this part of the city, which is very congested, and Saddar could be bypassed.

However, the currently planned 64.3km ring road between Rawat and Tarnol, with residential, industrial and commercial schemes en route, can be called anything but Rawalpindi Ring Road.

Many of the congested areas of Rawalpindi could have been bypassed if the Leh Expressway was connected with Sirinagar Highway in Islamabad. A new city can be established on Barani Land in Chakwal near the motorway and schemes envisaged in the planned ring road can be located there with better facilities.

M. Akram Niazi
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2020