Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Anwar Khan said on Wednesday that communication links including roads played key role in the development of a nation.
Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of Azad Pattan Bridge on River Jhelum, about 70 km from Rawalpindi, built by National Highway Authority (NHA), he said the civilisations travel through roads and bridges were important for smooth journey.
It may be mentioned here that the old bridge at Azad Pattan was badly damaged in 1992 floods. Later, it was repaired but heavy traffic was not allowed to pass over it.
The AJK President said the NHA had always maintained standard of its work and hoped the authority would build more roads in AJK.
He said opening of this bridge would benefit AJK districts of Bagh, Palandri and Rawlakot.
About the forthcoming AJK elections, he said he would ensure the elections were free, fair and transparent. He stated that it was the right of the Kashmiri people to elect their representatives and no body could influence it. Sardar Anwar said that power was not an end itself, but a means to an end - to serve the masses and new AJK government would face the challenge of reconstruction. He said the agenda of the political parties should be the welfare of the masses.