Nato containers cost Rs 40 billion damage to roads, Senate told

Federal Minister for Communication Arbab Alamgir Khan on Friday informed the Senate that movement of Nato containers has dented the exchequer by Rs 40 billion in the form of damage to the road network from Karachi to the border checkposts. Despite repeated requests to pay for the road damages due to Isaf/Nato cargo movement, he said, the payment seems a wild goose cry.
Nato officials did not even bother to reply to the letters written to them. He told the House that our road network could not sustain heavy Nato/Isaf cargo supplies, which is currently blocked following Nato strikes on two Pakistani checkposts in Mohmand Agency, killing 24 soldiers, which is also violation of our territorial integrity.
Overloading was being practised even before the Nato/Isaf cargo movement in Pakistan, which is damaging the roads network, he said, adding that a policy is needed to save roads from further wear and tear. The senators particularly from Balochistan came down hard on the government, saying that it does not pay any attention towards the dilapidated condition of roads, besides discrimination in allocation of funds in the budget for development schemes in the province.
The senators belonging to Awami National Party (ANP) and Fata also showed their anguish over discrimination in dismal allocation for road development projects and giving few jobs to people from Fata and KP in federal government departments. Senator Abdul Malik said PPP government has wilfully stopped work on road projects in Balochistan.
Opposition Leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri also expressed concern over damages done to the roads in Balochistan. Arbab Alamgir said last year paucity of funds impeded the roads repair and construction work. However, "I assure this House that this year Rs 9 billion have been allocated for Balochistan out of total Rs 37 billion, earmarked in the budget for NHA."
The development packages for Larkana and Multan also came under discussion, on which members were of the view that it was discriminatory to bless these two cities at the cost of other cities of the country. Senator Safdar Abbasi disputed the figures, allocated for different schemes in Larkana, saying that not a single project has been completed in Larkana, for which he feared the ruling party, may have to pay heavily.
MQM's Senator Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (Retd) questioned the development packages for Multan and Larkana, saying Balochistan and other provinces also need equal attention and share in funds for development schemes. The House was adjourned till Monday.