TOBA TEK SINGH: The 31km long portion of motorway M-4 (Pindi Bhattian-Multan) recently completed between Shorkot and Abdul Hakeem has been opened for traffic without any inauguration ceremony.

A National Highway Authority (NHA) official told Dawn that M-4, from Pindi Bhattian to Multan, was to be completed in four sections, namely Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad, Faisalabad-Gojra-Toba-Shorkot, Shorkot-Abdul Hakeen-Khanewal and Khanewal-Multan.

He said sections of Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad and portion of Faisalabad-Gojra were already operational while Gojra-Toba-Shorkot portion was inaugurated on Feb 2.

He said Shorkot-Abdul Hakeem portion had also been opened for traffic now and out of total 286km (between Pindi Bhattian and Multan), only 34km portion between Abdul Hakeem and Khanewal was yet to be completed which was expected to be opened by end of June. He said 56km Multan-Khanewal was already operational.

The official said that after opening traffic on Shorkot-Abdul Hakeem, the sections of M-3 (Lahore-Abdul Hakeem) and M-4 (Pindi Bhattian-Abdul Hakeem) had been connected with each other at Abdul Hakeem interchange.

ACCIDENT: A woman died and her son was injured when a car hit their motorcycle near Chak 328-GB on the Shorkot-Pirmahal road.

Pirmahal police said Sughra Bibi, 65, and her injured son Qurban Ali, 35, residents of Chak 327-GB, were going to Pirmahal on a motorcycle when the accident happened. As a result, Sughra died instantly while Qurban was referred by Pirmahal Tehsil Headquarters Hospital doctors to Toba District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2019