Supreme Court rejects NHA report on condition of RCD Highway

ISLAMABAD: A Supreme Court bench while rejecting a report of the NHA on the condition of the N-25 Highway (RCD Highway) on Wednesday summoned report about repair of the highways, ARY News reported.

The N-25 National Highway or the RCD Highway connects Balochistan with other provinces and cities in Pakistan.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also summoned report from the National Highway Authority (NHA) about road accidents across the country.

Chief Justice of Pakistan expressed his disappointment over the performance of the NHA and questioned spending of funds by the highways authority.

“The authority has failed with substandard work on roads amid corrupt practices,” the chief justice remarked.

“The roads fail to sustain the impact of the rainwater, the people are dying on roads owing to the negligence of the NHA,” Justice Gulzar Ahmed said. “The hands of NHA are dirty with blood of the victims of traffic accidents,” the chief justice said.

“Petrol pumps, hotels and shops have mushroomed over the leased lands of highways, the NHA has become a corrupt institution,” the top judge blasted the highways authority.

Member Admin of the NHA assured the court that the condition of roads will improve by the end of this year.

“The highways even not have trees planted on sides, contractors are minting money in the NHA,” the chief justice said.

“In year 2018, 5932 people were died in 12,894 road accidents in the country,” chief justice observed.

“This year 36,000 people lost their lives in road accidents,” Justice Mazhar Alam remarked.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case for an indefinite period.