August 04, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 19, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: The opposition members belonging to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Friday gave a tough time to the federal minister for communications, Shamim Siddiqui, during the question hour, in the National Assembly and criticised the National Highway Authority (NHA) for not completing road projects in time.

The minister invited the wrath of the MMA members when replying to a question of MMA MNA Farhana Khalid Banoori, he said the NHA had awarded 10 repair and maintenance contracts, worth Rs103 million in April this year, for completion of the work on the Malakand-Swat Highway by September this year.

Ms Banoori expressed her surprise over the minister’s reply, questioning how could the NHA complete the work that had been delayed for years, in just few months.

The minister told the house that the operation and management control of the Chakdara-Mingora-Kalam Road (N-95) and some other roads had been transferred to the NHA from the NWFP government in March 2007. He said the work, which was being carried out by the previous contractor was not acceptable.

He further told the house that the NHA was planning to reconstruct and upgrade the road to the National Highway standard. He said the completion of the rehabilitation work depended on the feasibility study, detailed design and approval from the Central Development Working Party and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, which was to be undertaken within one year.

Some MMA members asked the minister to tell the house the name of the contractor and the punishment awarded to him for substandard work, but the minister evaded the questions and avoided to disclose the name.

Later, an MMA member told Dawn that the minister was reluctant to disclose the name of the contractor as he happened to be the brother of a federal minister, belonging to the NWFP.

At this point, a ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) MNA, Zeb Gohar, proposed the formation of a special committee to monitor the quality and progress of work on various road projects. She also called for imposing heavy fines on contractors that carried out substandard work.

In response to a question of MMA MNA Noorul Haq Qadri, the minister said the NHA had disqualified, debarred and blacklisted 64 contractors and two consulting firms during the last three years. He said action had been taken against the firms for their poor performance, slow progress, submission of fake documents, misbehaviour with NHA officers and submission of tampered license.

The firms against whom action was taken due to poor performance or slow progress are as follows: Sampak International (Pvt) Limited; Associated Consultancy Centre (Pvt) Limited; Moderate Builders; Echo West International (Pvt) Limited; New Angola Enterprises; Javed Associates; Tri Ess; Zeco; Standard; Charman; Sarhad Pak; Trade International; Taimoor Shah; Star Trading; Badar Din Jatoi; Niaz and Brothers; Ali Enterprises; M Baloch Construction Co; Highway Engineers; Yasin and Co; Rafique and Co; Imtiaz Enterprises; Evergreen Agency; Aridzone Alliance; Al-Manan Construction Company; Zabir Khan and Brothers; Ayaz Builders; Rakhshani Builders; Sasco; HM Alam and Co; Haji Mir Muhammad Aslam Shahwar; Nizam Baloch; Sard Ali and Brothers; Green Leaf (Pvt) Ltd; Khawaja Khel Construction; Gorira Builder; Amir Shah and Sons; Rana Builders; Haji Mohammad Abbas; Lakki Construction; Kurram Builders and Isfahan Sheraz and Co.

The following firms were disqualified for having submitted fake documents or tampered PEC license: Soraj Construction Co; KK Engineers; Haji Kora Khan and Co; AKB Construction Co; Agha Mohammad and Co; Allah Dad and Moula Dad; Haji Khudai Rahim; Jahanzeb Construction Co; Ghulam Hussain Bangulzai; Pirzada Construction Co; Akber Construction Co; Baloch Construction Co; Zahir Khan; N Khan Builders; Waqar and Dinar Construction Co; Al- Nawaz Construction Co; Muhammad Akber and Co; Sher Jan; Abdul Ghafoor and Brothers; Sarwar and Co; TCC (Pvt) Ltd and Abdullah Jan Construction Co.

According to the minister, Jan and Brothers were disqualified in Balochistan for misbehaving with NHA officers.

Replying to a question of MMA MNA Kaniz Aisha Munawar, the minister said the government had spent Rs3.294 billion on repair, maintenance and construction of highways in the NWFP during the year 2005-06.

In response to a question of People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNA Fauzia Wahab, the minister told the house six motorways and expressways were planned to be constructed in the country in the next five years.

These projects are: 184-kilometre Faisalabad-Khanewal Expressway (to be completed by Dec 2011); 100-km Wazirabad-Pindi Bhattian Expressway (by June 2012); 100-km Khanewal-Lodhran Expressway (by June 2012); 51-km Peshawar-Torkham Expressway (by June 2011); 96-km Hassanabdal-Mansehra Highway (by Dec 2012) and 136-km Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (by June 2009).