LAHORE, Oct 25: Governor Khalid Maqbool on Monday opened the Faizpur interchange on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, 17-KM off here.

Speaking on the occasion, Maqbool said that no nation could become great just by having good bridges, roads and other such facilities. "Rather, it is character, dedication and devotion of the people which make a great nation."

Federal Minister for Communication Muhammad Siddiqi said the project, completed at cost of Rs76.1 million in 14 months, would benefit people of Northern Lahore, Shahdara Town and various towns and industrial units situated on the Lahore-Sheikhupura road.

He said a number of mega projects in the communications sector were in progress. "Dualization of the Lahore-Karachi-Peshawar highway is in final stages, two phases of the Indus Highway have been completed while work on the third is on. The Makran Coastal Highway is also in final stages".

Regarding different sections of the Motorway, he said work the Islamabad-Peshawar section was on while acquisition of land for the Faisalabad-Multan section was in progress.

Later, the governor distributed 250 bags, provided by philanthropists with each bag weighing 30kg each and containing atta, ghee, rice, sugar and tea, among the poor people of the area.

Responding to demands raised by Ferozewala Nazim Javed Nasarullah, the governor said the provincial government had already allocated huge funds for the development of Sheikhupura district, of which Ferozewala was a part.

He said a sum of Rs270 million was being spent on the education sector in the district while a big amount had been allocated for health projects.-APP