PESHAWAR
\nDuring a hearing on a petition concerning environmental issues and the deteriorating condition of roads, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed authorities to speed up construction work on the Indus Highway.
\nA two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Justice S.M. Atiq Shah and Justice Muhammad Ijaz Khan presided over the hearing. Officials from the National Highway Authority (NHA), the Additional Attorney General, the Additional Advocate General and departments concerned appeared before the court.
\nExpressing strong dissatisfaction, the Chief Justice questioned the Additional Attorney General and criticised the NHA for delays and for submitting an unsatisfactory report. He asked why the public had once again been placed in difficulty and what progress had been made according to court orders.
\nThe petitioner\u2019s lawyer informed the court that construction on the Indus Highway began in 2018 at a cost of Rs. 30 billion, which has now increased to Rs. 41 billion due to inflation. The lawyer also pointed out issues previously raised regarding repair work on the Hazara Motorway.
\nThe Additional Attorney General stated that NHA and relevant departments had submitted their responses and following the High Court\u2019s instructions, the federal Ministry of Communications and Works had convened a high-level meeting.
\nThe petitioner further informed the court that although 85% of the work on the Indus Highway had been completed, there was still no traffic management system in place. The Chief Justice asked who currently heads the NHA. The lawyer replied that the authority currently has no chairman, prompting the Chief Justice to question how the system could function without one.
\nA video of the Indus Highway was also played in court, after which the Chief Justice criticised the design of a U-turn shown in the footage, calling it unsafe. He noted that 274 precious lives had been lost on the highway so far.
\nThe Chief Justice reminded NHA officials that they had promised to complete the remaining work within three months and warned that the court would summon the NHA chairman at the next hearing.
\nResponding to the court, the NHA General Manager said that Rs. 6 billion had been requested for the current fiscal year and Rs. 4 billion for the next. The Chief Justice remarked that some people are dying due to terrorism and others due to traffic accidents, with the poorest citizens suffering the most.
\nHe further stated that despite clear instructions, the Indus Highway had not been given due attention. Noting the lack of police presence on the highway despite claims by the Kohat Commissioner, the court summoned the Commissioner for the next hearing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR During a hearing on a petition concerning environmental issues and the deteriorating condition of roads, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed authorities to speed up construction work on the Indus Highway. A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Justice S.M. Atiq Shah and Justice Muhammad Ijaz Khan presided over the hearing. Officials from the National […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-515708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n