PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday expressed displeasure at slow pace of work on a key flyover in Takht Bhai area of Mardan district and directed the relevant officials, including those of the National Highway Authority and Pakistan Railways, to visit the site and make a plan for the early completion of the project.

A bench comprising Justice Qaisar Rasheed and Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani asked the officials, including the NHA project director and Pakistan Railways divisional superintendent, to hold meeting today (Thursday) with the commissioner of Mardan division and submit progress report to it within 14 days.

The court issued the directives during the hearing into a petition of NHA project director Arshad Khan, who sought orders for the quashing of an FIR registered against him on complaint of an army officer, whose vehicle had an accident at the project site due to the ongoing work in Jan 2015.

The vehicle had fallen in a ditch with the complainant alleging that the accident took place due to the negligence of the project director.

Directs relevant officials to ensure project’s early completion

Justice Qaisar Rasheed observed that it was unfortunate that some time projects meant for public convenience were turned into that of inconvenience.

He observed that before starting a project the concern government department did not think over alternates to be provided during completion of such like projects.

Justice Qaisar Rasheed further observed that the Takht Bhai flyover project was started to check the constant problem of traffic jam on the main road but traffic snarls for hours had become the order of the day.

He observed that ambulances carrying passengers to hospital remained stuck up in traffic jams for hours.

Additional advocate general Sikandar Hayat Khan informed the bench that during previous hearing, the court had suspended operation on the FIR and had summoned important officers including the Mardan commissioner, DIG of Police Mardan, divisional superintendent of Pakistan Railways and project director NHA.

He added that the said officers were now present in the court room. When asked by the bench about the delay in the project’s completion, Mardan commissioner Khalid Hussain said at several points, the work had been completed but the authorities had been facing problems near the railway track passing through the main road as the Pakistan Railways had yet not issued the no objection certificate for work there.

Pakistan Railways divisional superintendent Ali Mohammad Afridi said his department had verbally allowed the NHA to carry out work and would issue the required document soon.

The bench directed the MS to hold meeting with the commissioner at his office on Thursday to decide how to expedite the work for early completion of the flyover so as to end miseries of the people.

The bench also directed the DIG Saeed Wazir to depute more traffic police constables on the said road to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2015

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