PM inaugurates Hakla-Dera Ismail motorway

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the Hakla-Dera Ismail motorway will help connect areas that were left behind, stressing that this will bring development.

Inaugurating the 293-kilometre long Hakla-Dera Ismail motorway in Islamabad on Wednesday, the PM said that previously, the development of the country was confined only to GT road, Lahore and onwards to Karachi which were also called the Eastern route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"A country achieves progress when it makes long-term plans. Progress is made possible due to long-term planning like China which has planned 30 years ahead,” he said.

Govt explains its approach to motorway projects

The PM added that during the 60s, Pakistan had long-term planning as the country’s biggest projects were conceived during that period. However, he added after that governments never indulged in long-term planning.

They only focused on the eastern areas of the country, primarily Lahore and the GT Road, he said.

"Now this highway will connect areas that were left behind. It will help people who were forgotten by the previous governments," the PM said.

PM Imran said that the motorway will go a long way in raising the standards of living of these areas by reducing the distance from seven hours to three hours from Islamabad to DI Khan.

Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan motorway

The 293-kilometre motorway is an important component of western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and has 11 interchanges, 36 bridges, 33 fly overs and 119 underpasses, as per the PM Office.