Senate body for reliable network of roads, highways
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—The Senate Standing Committee on Communications and Railways has directed National Highway Authority (NHA) to urgently take up the repair of roads damaged by the recent rains and flash floods especially in NWFP and Balochistan.
The committee which met at the Parliament House with Senator Mr. Kamil Ali Agha in the chair noted that the dilapidated condition of roads was causing inconvenience to the commuters and difficulties in movement of goods to and from these places.
The Committee also directed the NHA to adequately modify the present design of speed breakers at the Dargai-Chakdara Road as they are causing a lot of hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic and reduce their number alongwith reducing their height and ensure completion of the work within the stipulated time by asking the present contractor to mobilize more men and machinery for accomplishing the task expeditiously.
With regard to the federalization of Chakdara-Mingora-Kalam and Khawazakhela-Rahimabad-Shangla-Besham Roads (which links swat valley with Karakoram highway, N35) which presently belongs to NWFP government and is not a part of NHA network, the Committee supports the NHA plea i.e to remove contractors, if any, employed by the NWFP government in view of the authority's past experience with such contractors.
The Senate Committee asked the NHA to immediately undertake the repair work at bridge located at D.G Khan - Loralai section which was damaged due to heavy rains and which was hindering flow of traffic particularly transportation of fruits from Baluchistan to Punjab and up country.
It directed the authority to under take RCCing of KhaneZie- Muslim Bagh section snow fall area for unhindered and smooth flow of traffic.
The Committee also instructed the authority to ensure regular maintenance of the cat eyes (Studs) installed at Islamabad-Burhan section of the Motorway (M1).
The meeting also considered the recommendations prepared by the National Transport Research Centre (NTRC) of the Ministry of Communications regarding motor vehicle insurance by the 3rd party. The Senate Committee directed the Ministry of Communications to fine tune the recommendations received earlier and to take necessary input from the Ministry of Commerce in this regard.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairmen of the Committee said that it should be our earnest endeavor to put in concerted efforts by all the ministries and departments concerned for developing the network of roads and highways for accelerating the pace of economic development in the country. He appreciated the efforts of Ministry of Communications in this connection and assured all out support of the Committee to realize the cherished objective.
Apart from the Chairman of the Committee Senator Kamil Ali Agha, the meeting was attended among others by Senators Mr. Naeem Hussain Chattha, Mr. Asfand Yar Wali, Lt. Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Mr. Saeed Ahmad Hashmi, Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, Mr. Muhammad Saleh Shah and Mr. Abdul Ghafar Qureshi. Senators Sahibzada Khalid Jan and Hameedullah Jan Afridi attended the meeting as movers. Mr. Tariq Mehmood, Secretary Communications and, Major Gen (retd) Farukh Javed, Chairman NHA and senior officials of the Ministry and its attached departments were also present on the occasion.