Roads not taken
By Majeed Gill
A number of schemes were implemented during the past years, but at the same time people had genuine complaints about delay in the execution of various projects, which were faced with non-provision of funds by the departments concerned.
In this respect, the much-delayed project for the construction of Bahawalnagar bypass was on the top of the list of such schemes here. The bypass costing about Rs100 million was aimed at linking Ahmedpur East Road from Paras textile mills to Bahawalnagar Road (Hasilpur Road) near Baghdadul Jadid to facilitate traffic bound for Hasilpur, Chishtian and Bahawalnagar. The government at the initial stage released Rs30 million, with which preliminary work was carried out.
Later on, the district government stopped the funding with the result that contractor discontinued the work thus creating difficulties for the people residing in the surrounding rural areas. Due to inordinate delay in providing more funds, the work already done on the project went waste. Besides, the pressure of heavy and light traffic bound for Bahawalnagar could not be reduced on city roads, which were already unable to cope with the growing volume of traffic. It is feared that if the relevant officials turned a deaf ear to this project it would not be completed and the city’s population would suffer.
ZANANA HOSPITAL Road is considered to be one of the important thoroughfares of the city as it is within the Walled City. With the passage of time, the traffic pressure on this road is increasing. It was reconstructed and repaired in the past but due to the use of substandard material and the presence of a defective sewerage system at several points, the road has become unserviceable both for traffic and pedestrians. The road turned into a stream during the rainy season, which added to its wear and tear. This causes a great deal of hardship to the residents particularly the shopkeepers. The TMA city should allocate funds for its reconstruction to facilitate the business community of the area.
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The first three-day international conference on ‘Nuclearisation of South Asia: consequences, challenges & peace prospects’, organised by the Islamia University here recently adopted a number of recommendations.
The proposals were that Pakistan must maintain a credible minimum deterrence to ensure security, NPT in its present form is highly discriminatory and hence amendments should be made in it to end the discrimination against non-nuclear weapon states. Whole nuclear weapons are a reality, with which the world would have to live for a long time. Efforts should be made to pave the way for general and complete disarmament, including nuclear disarmament. Pakistan-India composite dialogue must be pursued. P-5 states should be reminded of their commitments under NPT to start the process of nuclear disarmament. There is need to raise awareness among the people of Pakistan and India about the implications and consequences of nuclearisation of the region. The two nuclear rivals of the sub-continent should be asked to divert their resources for the improvement of their people solving problems like poverty, hunger, ignorance and backwardness. In order to raise the level of nuclear threshold in south Asia, efforts should be made to narrow the conventional forces’ imbalance between Pakistan and India.
IU Vice-Chancellor Dr Belal A Khan and eminent scholars from home and abroad addressed the conference. These included former minister Vice-Admiral M Fazal Janjua, chairman, Firex Solar Industries, Islamabad, Sarfraz Ahmed Khan, former ISI DG Lt Gen Asad Durrani (retd), Guo Xiaobing, Institute of Security and Strategic Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Beijing, Bharat Karnad, senior fellow, National Security Studies, Centre for Policy Research, Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Dr Raquib Ahmed, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh and Lt Gen Talat Masood (retd).
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MS Parveen Ghauri, Women’s Crisis Centre chairperson, recently established by the federal government, briefed the media about the performance of the centre.
Accompanied by EDO (Community Development) Shariq Masood Ansari, she said 38 of 48 cases of violence against women reported to the centre in the past three months, were solved. She said that eight such cases were with the courts while five were under process through counselling. She said that the centre was functioning round the-clock and some of victim women even knocked at its doors after midnight for help, which was provided to them by the staff on duty.
On the occasion, victim Tasleem Kausar of Yazman, who had a love marriage in 2002, and her husband Muhammad Jamil narrated their ordeal at the hands of her brother Gulzar Ahmed and the assistance provided to her by the crisis centre. Ms Ghauri said that the centre had made emergency arrangements for boarding and lodging at least for three days for the women victims.
The EDO added that a 10-member management committee had been formed to supervise the centre’s functioning. He said the government would also construct its own building for the centre, for which PC-1 was being prepared.
