ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday inaugurated 285-kilometre long Islamabad-Dera Ismail Khan (M-14) motorway — constructed as part of the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The highway comprises 11 interchanges, 36 bridges, 33 flyovers and 119 underpasses.
It would help transform D.I. Khan as one of the primary corporate hubs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, linking to southern Punjab and Balochistan provinces. It would also help ensure an uninterrupted supply of agricultural produce to far-flung towns.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said previously the development of the country was confined only to G.T. Road on the outskirts of Lahore and then onwards to Karachi — roads which are also dubbed as the eastern route of the CPEC.
“But a country achieves progress if there is uniform development across its length and breadth. It is made possible due to long-term planning like China which has planned 30 years ahead,” he added.
Khan said the future planning would envisage a roadmap towards progress, embracing all parts of the country.
If few towns were developed then the people living there would become rich, leaving behind other populations of the backward towns in poverty. It was the biggest problem of the developing world but they successfully addressed it, he added.
The prime minister recollected that during the 1960s, Pakistan had planned long term projects as the nation’s largest development works were conceived during that period.
The prime minister said the M-14 motorway would connect those towns which were less developed. The lack of facilities forced the inhabitants of D.I. Khan and Mianwali cities to move to developed cities which also resulted in the brain-drain and flight of talent from these areas.
He expressed the confidence the motorway would go a long way in raising the standards of living of adjoining areas and by almost halving the distance from Islamabad to D.I. Khan from seven hours to three hours.
