Funds for road projects in Balakot approved

MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved funds for two major road projects in Balakot tehsil.

“The construction of the Saiful Muluk Lake Road and the Garhi Habibullah-Balakot Road has been a long-standing demand of the people of our tehsil. The Communication and Works Department has now cleared all formalities and sanctioned funds for these projects,” MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani told reporters here on Tuesday.

He said that he had met with the chief engineer of the Communication and Works Department’s foreign-funded projects division, Engineer Mohammad Naveed, who informed him that funds for both major roads in Balakot tehsil had been approved and that construction would commence once the weather improves.

“I expect the execution of the Balakot-Garhi Habibullah Road project to begin soon, while the launch of the Saiful Muluk Lake Road project will start after the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road is reopened for traffic in May 2025,” Lughmani said.

He said that the road linking Naran, the commercial hub of Kaghan valley, to Saiful Muluk Lake, was in a dilapidated condition, which negatively impacts tourism.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is actively promoting tourism, and once this road is constructed, visitors will have a much better travel experience to move Saiful Muluk Lake,” Lughmani added.He also mentioned that funds had been approved for some other development projects in Balakot tehsil.