The Hindu : International : Islamabad asks PoK to speed up road repairs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 20, 2005

International

International

Islamabad asks PoK to speed up road repairs

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 19 . Close on the heels of pact between Islamabad and New Delhi to run the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, Pakistan has asked the Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) Government to speed up repair work on a road which connects them."We have been asked by Islamabad to make the road ready for the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service which begins on April 7," the PoK Minister for Communications, Works and Housing, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, told Dawn in Muzaffarabad.

Bridge

Mr. Farooq who had earlier travelled from Muzaffarabad to Chakothi with the highway department officials, said Islamabad had also asked them to build a bridge over the 200-foot wide water channel that marks the Line of Control (LoC).

The paper said the foot-bridge over the channel which has low water flow, was earlier used by United Nations Military Observers for crossing but such crossings were stopped when tensions along the LoC intensified. It quoted officials here believe that the existing bridge cannot withstand the weight of pedestrians. Mr. Farooq said that highway authorities geared themselves up for the repair and improvement of the road after the agreement between Pakistan and India.

Weather

"If weather permits we can make use of our resources to make this road ready by April 7," he said. PoK has been in the grip of torrential rain and snowfall since early this month. "Nevertheless, our people are concentrating on this project," the Minister said.

The pre-1947 Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route is in a relatively good condition up to the border town of Chakothi, 58 km south of here, but the portion of road beyond Chakothi bazaar is in a bad shape.

The PoK highway department's Superintending Engineer, Chaudhry Mubashirul Haq, told Dawn that lastMarch,the AJK Government had earmarked Rs. 23.757 million for repairing the road beyond the Chakothi bazaar. That was when the bus service seemed to be on the cards.

De-mining

On nearly 1,200 feet area short of the bridge, he said there was no road for it was dotted with landmines and army bunkers. The army, however, had assured that mines and bunkers would soon be removed, he said.

The department had also ordered a `Bailey Bridge' from a British firm at a cost of Rs.50 million for installation over the water channel. The firm, which was to deliver the bridge in April, had now been asked to meet the order earlier.

However, Mr. Haq did not know if India and Pakistan had decided which side would construct or install the bridge.

Mr. Farooq said he had requested the Pakistan Government to provide extra funds and expertise so that the road and bridge were ready before April 7.

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