Daily Times

The meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Communications held with Senator Pervaiz Rashid in chair on Tuesday criticized the National Highway Authority (NHA) over poor road conditions and mismanagement in Balochistan. The Senate Body on Communications in its session focused on a notice by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, addressing alarming statistics from the Balochistan Medical Emergency Response Center (BMERC). BMERC reports indicate over 46,000 accidents on Balochistan highways in the past five years, attributed to inadequate road conditions and heavy traffic.

Senator Mumtaz highlighted the poor state of key roads including Uthal (N-25), Kalat (N-25), Gwadar (N-10), and Killa Saifullah (N-50), covering a total of 620 kilometers. She emphasized that despite government allocations, the crucial N-25 remains undeveloped. Both the NHA and the Ministry of Communications failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the utilization of funds since a decade. Senators criticized the NHA for poor road maintenance and questioned the establishment of toll plazas that do not benefit local communities. The committee also discussed the role of over-speeding, overloading, and inadequate driver ethics in accidents. The motorway police reported 422 accidents in the West Zone since 2019, resulting in 304 deaths and 952 injuries. However, members expressed skepticism about these factors being the sole causes and criticized the NHA for neglecting proper maintenance and project execution. The committee sought to review in detail the performance of the Ministry of Communications and the NHA. Tallah Badar lamented the ineffective measures taken to address road damage, despite an annual expenditure exceeding 15 billion rupees. The NHA’s Chairman pointed out funding constraints impacting project development and maintenance, stating that only 2.4 billion rupees are allocated for repairing 14,483 kilometers of road. The Chairman Committee emphasized the urgent need for effective solutions to the road safety crisis. A Senate subcommittee will be formed to work with NHA and Ministry officials to develop actionable plans and assess performance, aiming to address the serious road safety issues in Balochistan and beyond. The meeting was attended by Senator Dost Ali Jeesar, Senator Jam Saifuallah Khan, Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Senator Muhammad Tallal Badar, Senator Abdul Wasay, Senator Muhammad Qasim and Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri. Officials from relevant departments were also in attendance.

Separately, Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan on Tuesday chaired the meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances held at Parliament House. During the meeting, Secretary Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs provided a briefing to the Committee on the assurances given by the Government, specifically addressing their current status and the steps taken towards their implementation by the relevant Divisions. The Committee was informed that reports of 23 assurances have been submitted between 2019 and 2024. The Secretary further explained that when there was a delay in the submission of a report, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs coordinates with the concerned Ministry for submission of the report. If still the report was not provided, a reminder was sent to the concerned Division, and if necessary, further reassurances are sought. The Chairman of the Committee emphasized the importance of thoroughly reviewing the submitted reports to ensure compliance. He underscored the necessity of detailed scrutiny to confirm whether the required actions have been taken. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro asked the relevant departments to provide details on the Hyderabad and Sukkur Motorway, while Senator Dost Muhammad Khan stressed the need for information regarding the slowing of internet services, which has become a significant issue nationwide. Additionally, the Committee discussed the missing file for House in Sector I-10/4, Islamabad. The affected individual stated that it has been three and a half years since the file was reported missing. The officials from the concerned department assured the Committee that the issue of the missing file would be solved by September 6, 2024. The Chairman of the Committee directed to expedite the matter of the file in question and urged the initiation of legal proceedings against those responsible for its disappearance. Chairman Committee Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan also directed that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs keep the Committee on board about matters related to Government assurances. He suggested again conducting a detailed scrutiny of each report that has been submitted. The meeting was attended by Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Senator Dost Muhammad Khan, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Al-Haj Muhammad Umer Gorgaij, the Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and the senior officials from the concerned Divisions and Departments.