KARACHI, Dec 04 (APP):Federal Minister of Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Saturday said bids for Motorway’s Hyderabad-Sukkur section have been received and soon Prime Minister Imran Khan would perform ground breaking of the project.
Murad Saeed, while addressing a press conference here at Sindh Assembly building along with leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh and other elected representatives of PTI, said that Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway would be the first motorway initiated by PTI government and a gift for people of Sindh.
He said that federal government was working on a number of projects of highways and roads in Sindh to ensure better communication and transportation facilities to the masses.
Green Line of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system would be inaugurated in December and people of Karachi would be able to avail better commuting facilities which they were vying for, he announced adding that another important project 786 kilometer long Karachi-Quetta-Chaman highway entered into advanced stages and construction work would start shortly.
The federal minister stated that federal government was also playing its role in completion of Karachi Circular Railway while several roads and streets were completed in Karachi through federal funding. Another road project was completed in Umerkot district which would be inaugurated tomorrow (Sunday), he added.
Murad Saeed said people in Sindh were suffering due to bad governance and corruption of PPP’s provincial government while democratic norms were being undermined by self acclaimed champions of democracy.
He said the party that taught lessons of democracy in National Assembly and Senate was denting democratic principles in Sindh by constraining opposition from playing its role in assembly.
It was regrettable that opposition parties in Sindh were deprived even membership in Public Accounts Committee and standing committees while Shahbaz Sharif was made chairman PAC although he was under allegations of corruption, he remarked.
Murad Saeed while condemning brutal killings of Fahmida Sial, Nazim Jokhio and Sakhawat Rajput said that law and order situation in Sindh was out of control as people were murdered by influential persons. Um-e-Rabab was another example of injustice in Sindh whose father and other family members were assassinated and she was in quest of justice.
Federal minister also alleged PPP of obstructing federal funded projects in Sindh and said that provincial government raised objections on projects of education and health sector under MNA fund on the pretext of 18th amendment and provincial autonomy.
On the other side the same Sindh government had attempted to deprive local government institutions from their constitutional rights and responsibilities, he said adding that article 140-A of the Constitution that provided for financial, administrative and political empowerment of LG bodies was violated in Sindh.
He said that Prime minister Imran Khan was planning to introduce Electronic Voting (EVM) to ensure transparent and fair elections while PPP wanted secret balloting in LG system to facilitate rigging and to launch unelected people of their choice.
He said that health, education, law and order and all other sectors were destroyed in Sindh where hospitals lake doctors, medicines and ambulance and schools were missing teachers and furniture.
PTI has introduced historical reforms in police, education, environment and health sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and put the terrorism hit province on path of progress and prosperity, he stated adding that every citizen in KPK had access to better health facilities through Health Card while the same facility was also provided to masses in Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and Tharparkar district of Sindh.
Murad Saeed said that wheat flour and sugar was more expensive in Sindh due to erroneous policies and corrupt practices of PPP Sindh government. Responding to a query about improvement of Indus Highway, Communication minister said that zero progress was made on the project till 2018 but PTI after attaining the power started work on the project and motorway police was also deputed on the highway. Completion of the project would be achieved soon, he added.
Murad Saeed while replying a question about Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway M9 said that communication ministry was in contact with Sindh government for improving the M9 but issue of right of the way was not resolved so far.
He said that there were 118 toll plazas under control of NHA and PTI government has not raised toll tax but agreement regarding M9 motorway was inked in 2015 for 20 year term. Murad Saeed vowed that PTI government will not leave people of Sindh on mercy of inefficient PPP government and take every constitutional and legal measure to alleviate their problems.
Sindh will get rid of thugs and muggers in upcoming general elections, he added. Responding to another query, he said that Pakistan Post that was bearing loses from decades has been turned into a profitable state owned entity for the first time by reducing losses and controlling expenditure while augmenting its income as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
