The new Japan Murree road has opened in Numbal village, giving more than 500 students a safe route to school and 2,540 residents better access to healthcare and markets.
Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Akamatsu Shuichi, attended the inauguration ceremony on Monday for the project to improve the link road in Numbal, in tehsil Murree. The project was implemented by Al Mezan Islamic Model School, an organisation that supports vulnerable communities through education, capacity building and inclusive social development.
The Government of Japan provided $64,528 for the project through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects programme, as reported by ProPakistani.
Japan Murree road: what was built
The new road is a durable concrete link road with protective culverts over local water channels. It replaces dirt paths that washed out in heavy rain and left the village cut off during emergencies.
The community shared the cost of the work. Al Mezan Islamic Model School and local residents contributed land valued at Rs4.5 million, technical supervision and local stone materials. That local contribution is part of why the project was completed despite difficult terrain and harsh weather, a point the ambassador noted at the ceremony.
The ceremony was attended by Murree District Education Officer Sidra Batool, officials of the Japanese embassy, representatives of the school, teachers, students, parents and community members.
Why the road matters for Numbal
Before the project, daily travel in Numbal was difficult and, at times, dangerous. Inadequate infrastructure made routine journeys hard, and the risks rose sharply during emergencies, when a passable road can decide whether help arrives in time.
The change is most direct for schoolchildren. More than 500 students can now travel to school without crossing flood-prone stream beds. For the wider village, the road improves access to healthcare facilities and markets, making daily life safer and more convenient for 2,540 residents.
Ambassador Akamatsu congratulated the school on completing the project and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s sustainable development. He expressed hope that the road would serve as a lasting symbol of the friendship and cooperation between Japan and Pakistan.
He also stressed a point that runs through the project: safe and reliable basic infrastructure is essential to improving people’s lives, and safe roads to schools matter because every child deserves the chance to learn and build a better future.
Roads and access in the hills
The Numbal road is a small project, but it touches a familiar problem in Pakistan’s hill areas, where a single link road can decide whether a village reaches a clinic, a market or a school in bad weather.
Feature Pakistan has reported on Galiyat roads reopening after heavy snowfall, another case where mountain access depended on keeping roads open. The Numbal project takes a different approach: instead of clearing a road after each disruption, it builds a road that resists flooding in the first place.
The same week, the federal Central Development Working Party advanced major road schemes, including the Rs17.012 billion improvement of the Chakdara to Timergara stretch of N-45, as Feature Pakistan reported in its CDWP Rs213 billion projects round-up. Big corridors and village link roads serve different needs, but both decide how easily people move, trade and reach help.
For Numbal, the result is concrete and immediate: children walk to school on a road that will not wash away under them, and a village of 2,540 people is no longer cut off when the streams rise.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the new Japan-funded road?
The road is in Numbal village, tehsil Murree, in Punjab. It is a concrete link road with protective culverts over local water channels.
How much did Japan provide for the project?
The Government of Japan provided $64,528 through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects programme.
Who implemented the project?
Al Mezan Islamic Model School implemented the project. The school and local residents also contributed land valued at Rs4.5 million, technical supervision and local stone materials.
Who benefits from the road?
More than 500 students can now travel safely to school without crossing flood-prone stream beds, and 2,540 residents have better access to healthcare facilities and markets.
