INTERIOR Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi deserves appreciation for his leadership role in accelerating the pace of de-velopmental activities in the Federal Capital and preparing a roadmap for the future.
There is no denying the fact that because of his active interest and innovative ideas of Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa in resolving problems of the residents of Islamabad, a record number of projects have been completed and many more are in the offing, which will surely give Islamabad a new look.
Inauguration of Iqbal Flyover by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday was not the only or first project con-ceived to ease traffic congestion and facilitate the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The PM pointed out that the team led by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi completed a number of infrastructure projects to facilitate the general public and transporters using roads of Islamabad. It may be pointed out that the Iqbal Flyover, also called T-Chowk flyover was completed in just 77 days at a cost of Rs. 1.4 billion and the Shaheen Chowk project is expected to be completed in a fortnight. Together with the launch of electric buses on different routes, many traffic related issues of the residents of the capital and suburban areas stand resolved. The traffic situation on the Expressway will further improve with plans to construct and upgrade service roads to manage light traffic. Most important is the vision of the Interior Minister, who said that cost-effectiveness, quality and timely completion are the three priorities for develop-ment projects and all these targets have been successfully achieved so far. The campaign against illegal encroach-ments is also contributing its share in improving the quality of life in the capital. However, it has been observed that encroachments in places like important interchanges/bridges and roads have become a recurring issue, which can only be addressed through strict and steady enforcement. One must agree with the Interior Minister who pointed out that the capital city did not receive proper attention for upgrading its facilities and resolving problems of its inhabitants. He has made a commitment to present shortly a development framework for the next two year, called Vision 2027, which the Minister declared will take care of the needs of Islamabad for the next twenty years. It is hoped that the plan will also address problems like garbage collection and street crimes in and around the Federal Capital.
