Senators blast NHA over neglecting Sindh motorway projects

ISLAMABAD: People’s Party and MQM’s senators blasted the National Highway Authority (NHA) and demanded disbanding it over its attitude towards Sindh.

A meeting of the Senate standing committee for planning, held with the PPP’s Senator Qurrat-ul-Ain Marri in chair.

Senator Qurrat-ul-Ain said that the NHA has become the Punjab Highway Authority and working only on Punjab’s highways. “It has no funds for Sindh’s motorways but having money for Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalpur Highway”.

“Inform us about facts or allocate share of funds to provinces so as they themselves build their motorways”, senator said.

“In principle a motorway must begin from the port,” Senator Faisal Sabzwari said. He said 30 years have been lost, Karachi’s port links the entire region but avoiding construction of motorway, this development has been hurdled.

He urged for building the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway.

NHA officials in the session said that the work has been underway for the project.

Senator Shahadat Awan said that motorways reached everywhere in Punjab but being delayed in Sindh.

Senator Jam Saifullah pointing to the absence of the planning minister said that Sindh has given lollypop of the M-9 motorway. “A new motorway being built for lands in Cholistan”, he said.

PML-N Senator Afnanullah told the meeting that Azerbaijan intends to invest US$ two billion in Pakistan adding that the feasibility of the M-9 will be prepared after the country will receive that money.