Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said more roads would be constructed using government funds.

Addressing an event titled “Successful completion of recent accomplishment” here on Sunday, he said the incumbent PTI government had started three times more road projects than the previous government. He said a number of road projects were under construction while some of these had already been completed.

Murad Saeed said the government was working to bring further improvement in the National Highways Authority (NHA). Modern technology is being acquired to ensure transparency in different departments, he added. He said the incumbent government would start more development initiatives in backward areas of the country to facilitate people. Construction of new motorways and highways would be started across the country soon, he added. 

The minister said that work would be started on Dir-Swat, DI Khan-Peshawar and Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorways by April this year. He said an important motorway project Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi would be started before June, adding that work would be started on Balkasar-Mianwali and Muzaffargarh-DG Khan roads soon. 

Murad Saeed said they have initiated mega road projects like M-8, Khuzdar-Basima, Ratto Dero, CPEC Western route and Dara Adamkhel project. He said the western route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), after completion, would bring prosperity in the backward areas of southern Balochistan. The minister said that Rs50 billion revenue target was achieved by his ministry, adding that the revenue target would be increased up to Rs100 billion.

He said that provision of free medical facility was the prime responsibility of the state and the government was ensuring it across the country. He said that distribution of Sehat Insaf Cards (SIC) to the 100 percent population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been completed and the distribution of the facility was under way in Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also directed the Balochistan government to start Sehat Insaf Card programme, adding that the Sindh government should take the initiative. The minister said 100 percent of the population of Punjab would be provided universal health insurance by the end of this year.

Later, the minister pinned promotion badges on the shoulders of the newly promoted officers of the National Highways and Motorways Police (NH&MP). He also distributed confirmation letters to the newly regularised employees. The minister expressed his confidence that the promoted officers would perform their duties with dedication. He praised NH&MP Inspector General Syed Kaleem Imam and officials for their outstanding performance.