The Standing Committee on Communications on Wednesday said that national highways are essential for national connectivity and we will be go on working for construction of national highways above all sorts of political affiliations.
During a meeting held in the Parliament House Islamabad, the members of the Standing Committee said, “The National Highways play vital role in the development of a country.”
The Committee was informed that three new projects of National Highway Authority (NHA) have been included in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), out of which two will be constructed in Baluchistan and the third will be constructed in the area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The Committee was informed that M-9 from Karachi to Hyderabad will be formally opened for public on August 14, 2017. Whereas Motorway from Hyderabad to Sukkur is also going to be started as the contract has been awarded and the process of land acquisition is in the progress. On the other hand the work on the Multan-Sukkur Section of Motorway is already in progress.
The Committee was informed that after achieving this big goal of start of work of whole Motorway, the NHA has now started to concentrate on dual track of Indus Highway. The Committee was informed that Indus Highway is shorter road link between Peshawar and Karachi. In this connection from Northern Bypass, Peshawar to Dara Adam Khail 35 KM road is going to be dual and constructed with the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Similarly, the road from Kohat to Saraye Gambila will also be made dual as the Prime Minister has given its approval. The Committee was informed that the Motorway and Grand Trunk Road are on the left side of Indus river, so, strategically there was a need to have a road on the right bank of Indus river.
The Committee was informed that Indus Highway is shortest possible route between Peshawar and Karachi. So, due to Indus Highways the traveling time between Peshawar and Karachi will be reduced. The National Highway Authority informed the Committee that Takht Bai Bridge has been completed, whereas, the road from Chakdara to Bahrain via Khawazakhela and Mangora has been divided in four projects. And the work is going to be started on all the four projects, with the help of ADB and Saudi Arabia.
The Committee directed that the beautification of Takht Bai Bridge may be carried out because the beautification aspect of the bridge could not be achieved during the civil work. Similarly, the Standing Committee observed that the payments against encroachments on service road of Lyari Expressway were made to the affected. And the encroachments were removed. The land Mafia is again encroach the land.
The Committee directed NHA, FWO and the Karachi administration to get the said land clear forthwith. The Committee was informed that Lyari Expressway will be completed by September 2017. The Committee showed its satisfaction to achieve this goal. The Standing Committee on Communications appreciated the efforts of local administration Karachi, Provincial Government Sindh, the Federal Government, FWO and NHA for the construction of Lyari Expressway.
MNAs Sarzameen, Chaudhary Khalid Javaid Warraich, Maiza Hameed, Nazir Ahmed Bughio, Ramesh Lal, Salim Rehman, Engr. Hamid-ul- Haq Khalil, Sanjay Parwani, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah, Engr. Usman Khan Tarakai, Naseema Hasfeez Panezai, Maiza Hameed and Shahjehan Muneer Mangrio attended the meeting beside Muhammad Sadeeq Memon, Frederal Secretary for Communications, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Chairman NHA, Altamash Khan, Member (Engg-Coord) NHA Muneer Ahmed Memon, GM (LEF) NHA and many other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
