LAHORE: PML-Q senior central leader and former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said his government`s project to construct LahoreSialkot Motorway was scrapped seven years ago after Shahbaz Sharif had assumed power in Punjab `but now Nawaz Sharif has announced Expressway.

`The construction of motorway was scheduled to be completed five years ago which would have reduced travel time between Lahore and Sialkot from two and a half hours to only 45minutes, for this our government had taken all steps, even funds were provided for acquisition of land which was retrieved by Shahbaz,` he said here on Tuesday.

Mr Elahi said on the motorway two industrial estates were to be established with the cooperation of China and two poly-technical universities were also to be set up with the assistance of Germany and Sweden.

He said when the PML-N government had scrapped the projects, these countries hadshifted the universities to India.

`Both brothers out of their vindictive attitude had deprived the people of Gujranwala division including Sialkot and Gujrat not only of modern facilities of travelling but also of education,` he said.

Pervaiz Elahi said the Sharifs were trying in vain to hide the facts by taking the credit for construction of Ring Road in Lahore because Lahore Ring Road project was started by his govt in Punjab in consultation with the US experts and with the help of satellite technology. He said its design was finalised keeping in view requirements of Lahore for next 30 years whereas Shahbaz Sharif had not added even one foot to it.

He said while scrapping mega projects of his government which included Lahore Rapid Mass Transit Train, Mubarak Centre, Lahore City Sports, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif had not thought how much irreparable loss would be caused to the respective areas, people and the country. Staff Reporter