LAHORE, July 6: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said his government is developing a communication infrastructure, including roads and railways, with the main objective of taking advantage of Pakistan’s strategic link with Central Asia and the rest of the world.

These projects were late but would be completed at the most by the year 2006 provided “we continue to move in the right direction”, he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Bund Road constructed at a cost of Rs700 million in two years here on Saturday.

Governor Khalid Maqbool also spoke on the occasion while Communication Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi presented the address of welcome.

The ceremony was attended by Lahore Corps Commander Lt-Gen Zarrar Azeem, Communication Secretary Iftikhar Rashid, National Highway Authority Chairman Farrukh Javed, members of the provincial cabinet, some PML-QA leaders and senior civil and military officers.

Tight security arrangements were made at the venue by the military and police authorities.

The president said the communication infrastructure was being created with a definite purpose in mind and for the welfare of the people and strengthening of the economy.

He said the projects were being carried out to take benefit of the strategic location of Pakistan which was situated on the cross-road of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. “Our geographical location has given us much strength,” he said.

The president said he had conveyed the importance of Pakistan’s strategic location to every world leader he met. During a meeting with the Japanese prime minister, he termed the region a glass, indicating its brim as Central Asia, beginning of its stem as Afghanistan, the stem’s base as Pakistan and the tumbler’s base as the rest of the world.

“I told them that we are trying to broaden the stem for the world which wants to take benefit of the Central Asian natural resources including oil and gas. The bases of the link to Central Asia, the Karachi and Gwadar ports, are ready and those passing Pakistan could only reach the republicans,” he said.

The president said the government was concentrating on the communication infrastructure because this would benefit the people. “We also know that these projects play an important role in strengthening national economy. The marked difference between our projects and of those in the past is that the latter were carried out without a specific direction,” he said.

He said projects in any field could not give positive results if carried out without a target at the strategic level.

The president mentioned different projects by the government including the Indus Highway, Torkham-Peshawar Highway and Torkham-Gwadar Highway and said it would also make different other projects like the Faisalabad-Multan Motorway.

He said a road network was also being built in the Northern Areas like the Chitral-Gilgit pass, Gilgit-Skardu pass and Lavari Tunnel to promote tourism.

“We have the most beautiful sites in the world but do not have access roads,” he said.

The president said all projects were being carried out with all the available national, provincial and local level resources.

He said the government had allocated Rs7 billion for the improvement of rail service. Under the project, the Karachi-Peshawar track would be doubled in five years. The quality of the existing single track would be improved by the end of next year, making it possible to run trains at a speed of 140 to 150 kilometres per hour.

The president appreciated the communication ministry, the national highway authority and the Frontier Works Organization for constructing the Bund Road, saying it would benefit the country and the people a lot.

He allowed the communication ministry to also improve the road between Chowk Yateem Khana to Thokar Niaz Beg. He also permitted the construction of the delayed ring road in Lahore, promising full federal government assistance in this project. The Faizabad, Rawalpindi inter-change would be constructed by the NHA, he said.

Replying to a demand by the Punjab governor regarding the construction of three bridges at Mithan Kot, Head Muhammadwala (Muzaffargarh) and Chand (Jhang), he said these would have to be evaluated so far as the provision of funds was concerned.

“We have made allocations for the projects necessary for the country and the people out of the total Rs143 billion this year with much consideration and will see as to how funds could be arranged for the bridges,” he said.

Later, the president unveiled the plaque of the Bund Road which was opened to traffic afterwards.

Governor Khalid Maqbool said development projects had also been carried out in the country in the past. But the ones initiated by the present government were spread evenly in all the provinces.

He said the government had started only those projects which would help the people and strengthen national economy. The past governments spent billions of rupees on development projects but they never benefited the people, he said, adding “I praise the president for this sagacity.” The governor said the Bund Road project was started and completed during the present era, requesting the president to permit the improvement of the road from Chowk Yateem Khana to Thokar Niaz Beg.

He said the provincial government had constructed Sialkot-Gujranwala, Sialkot-Wazirabad, Lahore-Faisalabad, Lahore-Kasur and other roads on the basis of BoT and through other sources.

The governor said such projects would benefit the people and allow introduction of better transport facilities. Foreign companies would run efficient cab service and airconditioned buses on these roads. “We are approaching the private sector for motor inspection and licensing,” he said.

Mr Javed Ashraf Qazi said after Wapda the government had made the largest allocation for the creation of communication network in the length and breadth of the country. All major roads would be completed by the year 2003 or 2004, he said.

He said the Bund Road project was started under directions from the president in April, 2000, and it would resolve traffic problems.