Inauguration of N-25: Governor B’tan lauds PM, terms it vital plan for province

QUETTA: Governor Balochistan Jaffar Khan Mandokhel on Thursday praised the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on inauguration of the N-25 Karachi-Chaman National Highway, terming it is a very important project that would bring vital economic and agricultural benefits in the province.

He said this while holding meeting with Prime Minister at the Governor House Quetta.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest including the latest situation of the country and the province and ongoing development projects were discussed.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Federal Ministers including Abdul Aleem Khan, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Senator Abdul Qadir, Member of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) Zarak Khan Mandokhel and Abdul Wali Khan Mandokhel were also present on the occasion.

The Governor said that this strategic highway connects the country’s largest port city Karachi with the border city of Chaman, which could provide a route to Central Asia and is expected to promote trade, agriculture and regional connectivity.

He mentioned that Quetta to Jeddah direct flight should be resumed and he stressed the need for the construction of Quetta, Zhob and Islamabad Expressway to further improve connectivity between Balochistan and other parts of the country.

The Governor highlighted this proposed expressway would not only provide a safe and efficient route for passengers but would also increase economic opportunities and promote national unity.

He also drew the attention of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to another important issue, saying that PIA fares from Quetta to Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore etc are many times higher than other cities of the country, which is a huge financial burden on the passengers of Balochistan, therefore it is necessary to reduce the fares and enhance the number of PIA daily flights.