Islamabad : The Senate Functional Committee on the Problems of Less Developed Areas, chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, met at the Parliament House.
The meeting commenced with a detailed briefing by the Ministry of Communication on the status of the dualization of the Quetta-Karachi Road. The Chairman of the National Highway Authority (NHA) reported that the entire N-25 is 790 km long, with the dualization of the Khuzdar-Kuchlak section being 330 km, Karachi-Kararo 232 km, Wadh-Khuzdar 41 km, Kararo-Wadh 83 km, and Kuchlak-Chaman 104 km. He stated that the Khuzdar-Kuchlak section of the N-25 is categorized into five packages, with Section 1 costing 8.786 billion, Section 2 costing 9.27 billion, Section 3 costing 10.588 billion, and Section 4 costing 11.321 billion, respectively. The Ministry reported that while the allocation was 13.6 billion, they received only 7 billion.
Chairman Agha Shahzaib Durrani, after a detailed analysis, pointed out that the road connecting Jeeva Check Post requires scrutiny and recommended to the ministry officers that if the quality of road development continues at a snail’s pace, no amount of funding will yield results. He also noted that over the last 10 years, several accidents have occurred due to the unreliability of this route. He further inquired about the five bridges that were ruined after the 2022 floods and expressed dissatisfaction that over two years, no significant progress has been made on their reconstruction. The Ministry officials reported that one out of the five bridges is almost complete, while the other four are still in the tendering process.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Communication provided a detailed briefing on the current status of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway. The Committee Chairman inquired about the initial interest of the Italian firm Techno-CMC-ACC consortium and its eventual withdrawal after a two-year process. The Chairman of the NHA reported that the project did not seem feasible for execution. He also added that the Ministry of Planning is already prioritizing actions to address the issue of Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M6).
Moreover, after the briefing on the Kharain-Rawalpindi Motorway, the Committee Chairman suggested that the ministry present the legality and tender documents and provide a report on the bidding documents for the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M6). He also requested details of the 5 kilometers of National Highway N25, along with quality assurance of the bridges. Additionally, he suggested revamping toll plazas and ensuring the installation of cat’s eyes road reflectors to maintain the safety of citizens.
Furthermore, the CEO of Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) provided a detailed briefing on the non-energized areas of Balochistan. The committee chairman inquired about the illegal activities affecting the electricity supply, which have impacted ordinary citizens. The Chairman also brought to attention that in some areas, electricity is unavailable for 36 hours and then resumes for 12 hours. He suggested that QESCO end this cycle of disruption, as the citizens bear the brunt of their irresponsibility.
Chairman Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani also asked QESCO to provide details of the actions taken against domestic electricity theft over the past five years and the measures implemented by the Ministry of Power. Additionally, he recommended a detailed report on the actions taken against QESCO employees involved in illegal activities.
In conclusion, the Committee Chairman recommended that the NHA and the Ministry of Power provide details of employees involved in electricity theft and specify any actions taken against them. He also asked the Ministry of Power to provide details of their actions regarding individuals known to be involved in theft. The Chairman further inquired about the actions taken against the 17,000 illegal connections of tubewells, considering the 550 billion rupees debt. He emphasized that both registered and non-registered tubewells contribute to this debt, and the burden of the 17,000 non-registered tubewells is unfair, thus requiring immediate action.
The Chairman commented that with the monsoon season around the corner, therefore it is important to restore the bridges of Balochistan and Sindh as soon as possible. He added that ensuring the quality of bridges and roads is paramount for the welfare of the common citizens.
He also addressed the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project, initially estimated to cost between 200 to 300 billion rupees. He noted that after the BOT process, the cost could not be contained within 308 billion rupees. According to the Ministry, the cost is now 450 billion rupees, while a Chinese company’s calculation places it at 650 billion rupees. He suggested expediting the development process of the motorway to prevent further cost increases and to ensure that the project benefits the economy, social welfare, and convenience for citizens.
In attendance were Senator Saifullah Abro, Senator Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Senator Aslam Abro, Senator Danesh Kumar, the Secretary of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, the Chairman of National Highway Authority (NHA), the CEO of Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and senior representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Communication.