Senate body for resolving pending issues of people on highways, motorways

• The committee said that no contractor should be provided next project until he did not completed previous ones.
• The committee recommended that the issues being faced by general public on M-9 section should be resolved.
• Hazara Motorway was expected to be opened at the end of this month as the work was near its completion.

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Communication here Thursday directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to resolve the pending issues of the public residing along the National Highways and Motorways.

The meeting held in the chair Senator Hidayat Ullah was also attended by the Senators Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Bahramand Khan Tangi, Islamuddin Shaikh, Gianchand, Mir Muhammad Yousaf Badini, Moula Bux Chandio, Secretary Communication Jawwad Rafique, Chairman NHA Capt (Retd) Sikander Qayyum, and other concerned officials.

The committee also recommended that the issues including the payments of land allocation on Kaghan-Babusar Pass, awaiting completion of section IV of M-8 and construction of flyover and U-Turn on M-9 should be resolved on urgent basis.

Secretary Communication briefed the committee members that the width of land provided for the establishment of M-2 section from Islamabad to Lahore was wider than M-9 section established from Karachi to Hyderabad.

Chairman NHA said that none of the highway could be changed into the Motorway, adding M-9 was a superhighway but it was changed into Motorway under the policy of previous government.

Moula Bux Chandio while criticizing the M-9 project said that rickshaws and motorcycles were seen on the road.

It was not as per standard of the motorway, he added. Secretary communication replied that this chapter has been closed for future as no highway would be converted into motorway in future.

The committee recommended that the issues being faced by general public on M-9 section should be resolved. To a question, chairman NHA said that completed projects of motorways would be opened with the mutual understanding of China as the projects were launched under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said that Hazara Motorway was expected to be opened at the end of this month as the work was near its completion.

Senator Salahuddin raised the land issue of the people living on Kaghan-Babusar Pass road saying that their payments had been pending for last 17 years.

He made a symbolic walkout along other senators to record his protest against NHA for not paying attention regarding this long-standing issue.

The chairman of the committee directed the NHA chairman and secretary communication to inform the Senate body about the factual situation regarding the said issue in next meeting.

The body was also informed that M-8 section-IV from Gwadar to Ratodero not yet completed due to lack of funding and by the negligence within the institution.

Chairman of the committee said that no contractor should be provided next project until he did not completed previous ones.

He said that the contractors working on this section should be banned for his negligence.

NHA chairman assured to take action against the concerned person.