RAWALPINDI: The Commercial Market pedestrian street and beautification project will take another month to complete as construction work is still under way, while the Raja Bazaar pedestrian street project has been completed.

A senior official of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) told Dawn that the provincial government had directed the construction of two fountains instead of one, along with the installation of a filtration plant, water coolers, washrooms and other facilities.

He said work at Raja Bazaar had been completed, while the additional components at Commercial Market would require another month. The project is now expected to be completed by Aug 14.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Salman Ghani chaired a review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office to assess the progress of ongoing development and beautification projects across Rawalpindi Division.

Delay caused by addition of more facilities to the project

The participants received a briefing on the progress of development schemes underway in various districts of Rawalpindi Division, highlighting their implementation status, challenges and measures to ensure their completion within the stipulated timelines. A review of the Commercial Market beautification project was also conducted.

The commissioner directed that the Commercial Market beautification project be completed within the next 20 days under all circumstances, with all remaining work finalised within the prescribed timeframe while maintaining the highest quality standards.

He instructed the departments concerned to expedite the installation and rehabilitation of fountains, façade improvement of buildings, comprehensive upgradation of the sewerage system, installation of paver (tuff) tiles and construction of utility ducts to provide citizens with a modern, aesthetically pleasing and well-equipped urban environment.

The commissioner further directed that modern public washrooms be made operational at Commercial Market for the convenience of visitors. “The facility will comprise five separate washrooms for men and five for women,” he said.

He emphasised that cleanliness, regular maintenance, accessibility for persons with disabilities and a sustainable operational management system must be incorporated as integral components of the project.

During the meeting, officials also briefed participants on the approved construction and revamping of the Integrated Record Preservation and Public Access Management System at the Divisional Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Under the project, a modern two-storey building will be constructed to house a fully digital, state-of-the-art record room to ensure the secure, organised and efficient management of official records.

The commissioner directed that all development projects be completed strictly in accordance with their approved timelines, emphasising that unnecessary delays would not be tolerated.

He said there would be no compromise on the quality, transparency or pace of development work while ensuring the efficient utilisation of public resources.

He also instructed that any technical or administrative hurdles affecting ongoing projects be referred immediately to the relevant forums for prompt resolution so that development activities continue uninterrupted and the public can benefit from the projects at the earliest opportunity.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026