ASTORE: Mr Amanullah Khan Niazi, Resident for Gilgit and Baltistan, today (Sept 14) performed the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Astore-Skardu road at Gorikot, six miles from Astore.

Astore is already connected by road with Gilgit and with the construction of the new road at a cost of Rs. 5,00,000, Gilgit, headquarters of the Gilgit Agency, has been linked with Skardu, headquarters of Baltistan. The distance between Astore and Skardu is 96 miles, of which a six-mile jeep road from Astore to Gorikot and a one-mile jeep road from Skardu to Satpara Lake existed before. Eighty-nine miles of the new road have now been constructed.

The Resident performed the opening ceremony by cutting a tape and immediately thereafter left for Skardu by the newly-opened road with other officials. The ceremony was attended by prominent men of the area, including the Raja of Astore and a large number of others who had come from far-flung places.

Construction of the road which will remain open to traffic from the middle of June to the middle of October is a landmark in the development of communications in the Northern areas of Gilgit and Baltistan. It is also an engineering achievement by the engineers of the Northern Areas Public Works Department.

The road passes through the Devasai plains stretching for about 50 miles at an average height of 14,000 feet above the sea level. It is a natural phenomenon that a 50-mile plain should exist at such a height, surrounded by snow-peaked mountains. The major portion only is included in the Astore sub-division of the Gilgit Agency. — Agencies

Qudratullah Shahab relinquishes charge

RAWALPINDI: Mr Altaf Gauhar today (Sept 14) took over as Secretary, Ministry of Information. He succeeds Mr Qudratullah Shahab, who is shortly to proceed to The Hague on Ambassadorial assignment.

Before taking over as Information Secretary, Mr Altaf Gauhar was Secretary, Finance Department, West Pakistan Government. He has also been Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. He was secretary to the Prime Minister during Malik Firoz Khan Noon’s regime. He was Chief Controller of Imports and Exports and also held the post of District Magistrate, Karachi.

Soon after taking over the charge, Mr Altaf Gauhar went round the offices of the Information Ministry and also visited the Press Information Department. — Staff Correspondent