FAISALABAD, April 21: President Pervez Musharraf has approved the project of Motorway-4 linking Faisalabad with Multan and work on the project will start soon.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Communications and Railways Javed Ashraf Qazi while speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Dubai Shopping Complex here on Sunday.

The minister said the road from Multan to Dera Ghazi Khan would be linked with the Indus Highway under a phased project.

This project would provide Faisalabad a direct link with Gawadar and Karachi seaports and play a pivotal role in boosting the textile industry and other industries of the region.

He said a comprehensive plan had been chalked out for using railways land for raising plazas and shopping centres with the financial assistance of renowned construction companies.

He said the Dubai Shopping Complex would be constructed at an open space of the railways in front of the local railway station with the financial assistance of a consortium of three international companies. The project would be completed within 18 months.

The minister said the contractors of the Faisalabad-Pindi Bhatian Motorway project had been directed to accelerate the pace of work and complete it within the stipulated period.