ISLAMABAD: In order to resolve road safety issues in Pakistan, the federal ombudsman has asked the Ministry of Communication to set up a national steering committee for formulation of national road safety plan for highways and motorways in consultation with all stakeholders as well as the provincial governments and submit it within 30 days. A high-level meeting at Federal Ombudsman Secretariat chaired by Senior Adviser Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokher also ordered the motorways police to immediately formulate rules for traffic safety, which has not been done since promulgation of NSA 2000. Khokhar further directed the authorities concerned to submit suggestions for amendments in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1969 to improve it according to the modern day requirements. He said that special attention be given to infrastructure and road safety issues by including international best practices while drafting the national road safety plan. Khokhar revealed that due to lack of road safety plan and in presence of outdated traffic laws, around 55,000 Pakistanis are killed and hundreds of thousands are injured in road accidents every year. He directed the participants of the meeting to take immediate steps and submit the national road safety plan for highways and motorways before the next meeting to be held in first week of June 2016.