Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan has confessed that
over 40 billion rupees damage has been done to the roads of the country
due to the NATO containers, adding that the letters were written but no
satisfactory reply was given by NATO officials.
The minister said that the government has failed to secure the
compensation money; meanwhile the senators demanded to impose road tax
on the NATO containers.
This was said by Arbab Alamghir Khan in reply of questions raised by
Senator Salim Saifullah Khan and Haji Ghulam Ali here on Friday.
He informed Senate that 14 billion rupees have so far been released
by the government during the current financial year for the construction
and maintenance of Highways and Motorways.
He said a total of 39.9 billion rupees have been set aside in the
current budget for the road infrastructure projects. He said last year
funds of National Highway Authority were slashed by fifty percent but
this year we have sufficient funds to accelerate work on important road
projects. He said the government is expected to release another two
billion rupees to the National Highway Authority during the next few
days.
Responding to a supplementary question, the Minister said nine
billion rupees have been allocated for the road projects in Balochistan.
Work on Quetta-Kalat-Chaman and Qilla Saifullah-Zhob roads is underway
and is expected to be completed in time.
He said the revised PC-1 of Lowari Tunnel has been forwarded to the
Central Development Working Party for its approval. The project will be
completed at a cost of 18.132 billion rupees in four years time. Work
on Northern Bypass Peshawar has been started and is expected to complete
by the mid of next year.
Meanwhile the members belonging to ANP staged walkout from the house
in due to the writing of KPK by Arbab Alamghir khan in written replies
about different projects.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Maula Bakhsh
Chandio assured the House that quota of the federating units in the
offices of Law Ministry will be ensured at all costs.
Leader of the Opposition in Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri
asked the government to review its decision of withdrawing subsidy on
tube wells. He said it will adversely affect the agriculture sector in
the country particularly in Balochistan.
Responding to a point of order raised by Raza Rabbani, Minister for
Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah said the PPP is a pro-worker
party and has always worked for their welfare.
Under the Benazir Stock Option Scheme, five hundred thousand
employees have been given twelve percent shares in their organizations.
He said credit also goes to the present government for abolishing
several black laws.
He assured the House that we will not take any step which is against the interest of the workers.
The 76th session of the Senate began in Islamabad today with Deputy Chairman Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali in the chair.
The Deputy Chairman announced the panel of Presiding Officers for the
current session. They are: Afrasiab Khattak, Gul Muhammad Lot and Syed
Javed Ali Shah.
The House offered Fateha for those who killed in Karachi explosion on
Friday. Later, the House will now meet on Monday at 3:30 p.m. SANA
