March, 29 2005	Tuesday	18 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 28: Senate Standing Committee on Communications Chairman Senator Kamil Ali Agha has said the Coastal Highway is a lifeline for inter-provincial trade and other links. Presiding over a committee meeting, the senator said the highway should be constructed in such a way that it could sustain natural calamities.

The committee suggested the government to allocate more funds to the National Highway Authority (NHA) so that it could maintain the Coastal Highway. It directed the communications ministry to constitute a technical committee to review the highway design.

NHA Chairman Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed informed the committee that all roads in Balochistan were under construction to ensure safe journey to the people.

However, he said a delay was taking place due to shortage of funds and other events which were beyond their control.

The committee members underlined the need for giving priority to the critical and difficult areas like Mughal Kot-Zhob-D.I. Khan section.

They observed that the Quetta-Zhob-D.I. Khan section was the economic bloodline for the people of NWFP and Balochistan as it provided the shortest link between the two provinces.

The committee pointed out that Ravi Toll Plaza was located in dwelling areas outside Lahore, therefore, it should be shifted from the present location.

The NHA chairman assured the committee that the toll plaza would be shifted to an alternate location to provide relief to the residents of Shahdara and save them from paying toll tax.

The committee took strong note of costly services provided by hotels and motels alongside the Motorway and directed the communications ministry to place the original contracts before the committee.

Minister for Communications Mohammad Shamim Siddiqui assured the committee that the matter would be seriously examined and anyone found guilty of malpractice would be dealt with strictly.

The meeting was attended besides the committee chairman by senators Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Asfandyar Wali, Nawab Mohammad Ayaz Khan Jogazai, Amanullah Kanarani and Mohammad Aslam Buledi.