ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced that Pakistan will host the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad and directed the city administration to begin preparations for the event.
He made the remarks after laying the foundation stone of the T-Chowk Flyover in Rawalpindi.
Earlier this month, while addressing the SCO summit in Tianjin, the prime minister had underscored regional security, counterterrorism, and Pakistan’s diplomatic priorities.
Speaking at Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Mr Sharif said the one-kilometre-long flyover would link the Islamabad Expressway with surrounding areas, significantly improving traffic flow and serving the public interest of residents of the twin cities.
He also stressed the need to beautify Islamabad ahead of the high-profile international gathering, while instructing the Ministry of Railways to prepare a plan for connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad via rail to facilitate local commuters.
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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied the premier, said the project would be completed within 150 days, adding that separate teams had been formed to monitor construction quality.
Officials informed the prime minister that the flyover would cost around Rs1.5 billion.
