FAISALABAD, June 17: Frontier Works Organization (FWO) Director-General Maj-Gen Shahid Niaz has claimed that the construction work on the Faisalabad - Sheikhupura Road will be completed in six months.

Speaking to members of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Thursday, Mr Niaz said the road would be completed on a built, operate and transfer (BoT) basis while the recovery target would be met by toll collection.

He said a comprehensive water desilting plan had also been conceived to stop flow of rainwater on the road. The FWO had also activated its own cell situated on the road to provide assistance to the traffic police, Mr Niaz added.

He said final agreements had been made with the Wapda, PTCL, the SNGPL and other government agencies to uproot different poles from the road and the work to this effect had been accelerated.

He said three big construction groups of the country were also taking part in this project with the FWO. FCCI chief Mian Aftab Ahmed highlighted the transportation problems being faced by the people of the area.

12-year hard jail: A local Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday handed down 12 years hard jail with a fine of Rs25,000 to a convict for attacking a police party which resulted in the killing of four bandits and a police inspector.

According to the prosecution, a police team had signalled a suspected car on the Jaranwala Road on April 22, 2003, but the occupants opened fire on policemen. At this, the police chased the vehicle and succeeded in arresting Pervez Iqbal from Bahlak area while his other accomplices beat a retreat.

On the information of the arrested accused, the police raided a house in Dhudiwala area in the limits of Saddar police station. But the inmates, already on the alert, opened fire on the raiding party. After a brief shootout, four bandits and inspector Zafar Abbas Kalas had been killed.