MANSEHRA: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yusuf on Sunday said that the government planned to launch two mega communication projects that would significantly shrink the travel time from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“The federal government has approved the Mansehra-Chilas and Mansehra-Muzaffarabad motorways, and work on these projects is expected to commence soon,” the minister told reporters after a meeting in Garhi Habibullah here.

District president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Junaid Qasim was also present on the occasion.

Mr Yusuf said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had agreed to fund the construction of the 26-kilometre Mansehra-Muzaffarabad Motorway. He added that the project had been included in the federal Annual Development Programme.

Yousuf says Saudi Arabia to fund Mansehra-Muzaffarabad Motorway

“Saudi Arabia will finance 76 per cent of the total Rs56 billion cost, while the remaining amount will be borne by the federal government from its own resources,” he said, adding, “This project will bring economic uplift to both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”

The federal minister also revealed that the feasibility study for the Mansehra-Chilas Motorway via Kaghan Valley had recently been completed.

“This is a significant communication project that will cut the distance to Gilgit-Baltistan by half,” he said.

The federal minister said that the government faced the challenge of making that route all-weather, but with the help of tunnels at glacier-prone locations, it will become feasible.

Mr Yusuf said that multiple tunnels had been proposed to overcome environmental and seasonal barriers, adding that the project could be developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative.

“Once Kaghan Valley and Babusar Top are connected via motorway, the region will witness unprecedented economic growth and connectivity with China,” he said.

BAN SLAPPED: The Torghar district administration has banned using tractors for passenger transportation and warned of strict punitive action against violators.

“It has been observed that tractors are being used as a means of passenger transportation in the district, which is not only against traffic rules but also poses serious threats to human lives,” read an order issued by deputy commissioner Safdar Azam Qureshi on Sunday.

The directive came a day after a tragic tractor accident in the Chaer area, claiming lives of four people, including two women. The order stated that the unauthorised use of tractors for transporting passengers across the district must be halted immediately.

The deputy commissioner also directed police to launch a crackdown on violators of the ban.

It added that anyone found violating the order would be prosecuted under Section 188 of Pakistan Penal Code.

It may be recalled that the ban follows Saturday’s deadly incident in which a tractor-trolley plunged into a deep ravine, resulting in multiple fatalities and serious injuries.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2025