ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the 11th Avenue project and also inaugurated Karnal Sher Khan Avenue, previously known as I.J. Principal Road, and 7th Avenue Interchange.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Sharif said the I.J. Principal Road project had been facing delays in its completion as it was being executed at a snail’s pace. He added that the project also had planning issues like all the projects started by his predecessor. However, the PDM government ensured the early completion of this project by putting in extra efforts, the prime minister stated.

The 7th Avenue Interchange was completed and opened for traffic last year, but its formal inauguration was pending. After that, he inaugurated Karnal Sher Khan Avenue.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal and former MNA Hanif Abbasi for “beautiful horticulture work and landscaping” along the road.

Shehbaz formally inaugurates 7th Avenue Interchange, blames PTI for delay in projects

During his speech, Mr Sharif also appreciated the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for its project to streamline the solid waste management system and its extension to rural areas of the capital and compared it with Lahore’s waste management system. He said that in Lahore, his team had introduced the “best waste collection system through private companies, but the previous government spoiled all the good work done by his team”.

Mr Sharif said that now in Islamabad, the Lahore model was going to be introduced. During his speech, he asked the CDA chairman about the status of this project. Mr Mengal told him that bids have been opened and work orders would be issued today.

A few days ago, the CDA opened bids to award work for cleanliness and garbage collection in rural areas of Islamabad as well. In urban areas, the CDA through its own manpower has been doing cleanliness work besides collecting garbage from house to house. However, there was no proper system in place in rural areas. Now, the CDA would collect garbage from rural areas as well through private contractors.

11th Avenue project

During his speech, Prime Minister Sharif said that next week, electric buses would start plying on Islamabad roads. After inaugurating the Karnal Sher Khan road, he laid the foundation stone of the 11th Avenue project on the same road.

He was briefed that 11th Avenue had two phases: in the first phase, a 5.8km-long road was under construction from D-12 to E-11. From E-11 to Karnal Sher Khan Avenue, a 5.8km portion of the road would be constructed which would culminate at the Sher Khan road.

The CDA chairman briefed the prime minister about this project and stated that the CDA was making efforts to start this project within two weeks. Officials said that the PC-I of the project was being prepared and the decision regarding award of its contract to the government or private contractor still needed to be made.

It is relevant to note that after the construction of 9th Avenue decades ago, the CDA could not construct any major road. The work on the construction of 10th Avenue was started last year with the federal government’s funding, but due to the shortage of funds, the work was almost halted – only 15pc work on the project has been done.

“The construction of 11th Avenue will be a good step, but at the same time, the government should look into the 10th Avenue project that has been stalled for quite some time,” said an official. He said that CDA through its own funding would start the work on 11th Avenue but it could not do anything about 10th Avenue – a federal government-funded project. 10th Avenue was started in March last year and is supposed to be completed by March 2024, but only 15pc work has been completed. Almost Rs2 billion has been released for the project out of a total of over Rs10 billion.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2023