QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court on Thursday expressed annoyance over the slow pace of work on the Khuzdar-Karachi and Quetta-Chaman dual carriageway projects despite provision of required funds to the department concerned.

A BHC division bench, comprising Justice Abdullah Baloch and Justice Iqbal Ahmed Kasi, expressed resentment over the delay while hearing the case about the construction of the two carriageways.

During the hearing, Syed Basharat Hussain, the National Highway Authority (NHA) member from Balochistan, informed the court that 40 per cent of the work on the N25 Khuzdar-Kuchlak dual-carriageway has been completed. The officials also confirmed that all required funds have been provided to the NHA.

The bench that despite the provision of funds, the work on the dual carriageway is progressing extremely slowly. The court instructed the Planning Commission representative to ensure that all necessary funds allocated in budget are provided to the NHA.

The additional attorney general assured the court that he would discuss the issue with senior government officials. The court was also informed that the Hub River bridge will be completed this month.

The Planning Commission and NHA provided details to the court about the funds released so far for the two carriageways. The bench was assured that there would be no negligence in the construction of N25 and it would be completed on time. The NHA and other parties were also instructed to repair the Surab-Gwadar CPEC road.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024