Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the progress made so far by the National Highway Authority (NHA) on the western route of ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

A meeting of the Standing Committee on Communications presided over by Senator Daud Khan Achakzai expressed reservations over non-allocation of funds and non-execution of construction work on the corridor’s western route mainly passing through Balochistan from Dera Ismail Khan to Gwadar via Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Khushab, Nag and Basima.

Senator Usman Kakar said it seemed that the prime minister wanted to complete eastern route of CPEC while western route was being neglected.

Briefing the committee, NHA Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar said that work on western route was already in progress and expressed hope that it would be completed soon. The NHA chairman informed the committee that the corridor would be completed in 15 to 20 years and the western route would be accommodated sometime later.

It was also informed that recent increase in toll on all motorways except Islamabad-Lahore Motorway had been withdrawn. Tarar said emergency response centres were being established on motorways where apart from workshops, medical facilities would also be available for commuters.

Achakzai said the government was forming committees after committees on the CPEC only to conceal facts. “We do not know the exact alignment and design of the corridor and that how much fund has so far been allocated for the project,” he regretted.

The chair also directed the Ministry of Communication to make appointments keeping in view the length of motorways, especially in Balochistan. The committee was also concerned over delay in appointments on over 171 vacancies under the Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan package.

The committee also expressed indignation over non-implementation of its orders pertaining to postal services. The committee was of the view that these services were essential for making the department a profitable organisation.

Referring to hiring and appointments in government departments, the committee suggested making appointments through departmental tests and interviews instead of the National Testing Service, which it said was just collecting money from candidates.

Senators Sajjad Hussain Turi raised the issue of separate quota in appointments for FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan on the basis of population. The committee was informed that a summary in this regard would be tabled in the next meeting of the Council of Common Interest.