KARACHI, March 4: Confusion prevails about the findings of an inquiry into the Shershah Bridge collapse, which killed more than half a dozen people in September 2007, as the caretaker federal minister for communication appeared unaware of any such progress on Tuesday, saying that it was the subject of a committee constituted by the prime minister’s secretariat.
At a press conference at the National Highway Authority’s office, minister Habib-ur-Rehman chose to talk about the progress of development projects during the last three months of the caretaker government, evading questions about the investigation into the tragedy.
“The Prime Minister’s Inspection Committee, which took up the subject, should be asked about it, and it has not been the subject of the communication ministry as such,” he said. “I am not the right person to be asked about the inquiry report or its findings, but personally I believe the report has been completed and is likely to be made public very soon.”
The minister’s fresh assessment matched the predictions he had made at the same place some two months ago in almost the same event. Speaking at a press conference on Jan 8, he had said the report would be out within next 10 days, which has not yet materialized.
Though he came up with the fact that the prime minister’s committee had held an in-depth inquiry into the incident, Mr Rehman said he believed his viewpoints on its findings would lead to confusion.
“The seven-member committee itself went through some bad experiences, as one of its members passed away before it reached conclusion and the other went on leave during the job. But they have taken up the matter with great responsibility and measured minutely every aspect which led to the incident,” he added.
More than half a dozen people were killed and many others injured when the Shershah Bridge, which formed part of the newly-inaugurated Northern Bypass, collapsed in September 2007. A large number of people remained trapped under the rubble for hours.
As the 70-metre Baldia loop buckled, two trailers and other vehicles that happened to be on the bridge were hurled about 25 feet onto the road below, near the crowded Shershah intersection.
Launched on the directives of President Pervez Musharraf more than six months ago, the findings of the inquiry report remain a mystery. The latest claims by the caretaker minister, who excluded the communication ministry from the responsibility, may add only to the anxieties of the concerned citizens.
Mr Rehman, however, shared facts about the development projects of his ministry across the country, which he claimed had moved at a fast pace during the last three months.“The ministry has so far completed six projects of the road network and highways,” he added. “The completed projects include N-85, M-9, the South Bond of the Lyari Expressway and some important parts which make up the interlinked communication network throughout the country.”
