ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said Margalla Avenue will be linked with Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M1).

Speaking at an event in connection with the rehabilitation of Margalla Hills, he said after completion of the project the distance between the motorway and the President House will be covered in about 15 to 18 minutes. He said some new projects that included Serena interchange/underpass and PTCL Chowk interchange/underpass at the merging point of Jinnah Avenue and 9th Avenue were also going to be launche d.

He said special focus was being paid on early completion of the ongoing projects, including Islamabad Expressway expansion, adding for the last 20 years work in piecemeal had continued on the expressway.

However, he said, now efforts are underway for completing the project in August or September.

He said Margalla Hills` restoration work had also been started. Moreover, those involved in fire incidents on Margalla Hills have been arrested, he added.

CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa said one million trees would be planted in Islamabad this season. He requested the citizens for planting saplings from July 22 in Margalla Hills in the name of their children, parents and other family members.

Meanwhile, the interior minister also inaugurated several projects of the CDA, including a complaint management, vehicle tracking system, e-office, call centre and human resource management system.

Out of the total 3.4 km portion from Margalla Avenue to MI, 1.8 km falls in Rawalpindi while 1.6 km is in Islamabad which will be constructed by the CDA.

However, the acquisition of land has not yet started.

Last year, an official of the CDA said after approving PC-I the CDA had prequalified nine of the total of 21 construction firms for the project. However, he said, the acquisition of land had not been started, which was a prerequisite for starting the construction.

Another official, however, said the CDA was working to start land acquisition soon.

The project worth Rs5.45 billion (construction and land acquisition) was approved by the civic body in August last year. Once started, work on the project would be completed in eight months.

According to a working paper of the CDA, maximum benefit from Margalla Avenue cannot be achieved until the road was linked with M-1. The project comprises a six-lane road to provide an alternative to commuters travelling to Islamabad from G.T. Road (N-5) and vice versa.

In June 2023, the government had given the goahead to the National Highway Authority (NHA) to construct the road in the limits of Rawalpindi.Staff Reporter