ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (APP): Federal Minister for Communications Asad Mehmood is revamping the allied departments of the Communications Ministry to facilitate the masses through provision of high quality digitized universal postal services, technical education, and international standard road network across the country.
This was disclosed by National Highway Authority (NHA) Spokesperson Sohail Aftab, who told APP on Tuesday that out of 1,603 closed post offices, 442 were opened and recruitment of the required staff to open the remaining post offices was in the final stages.
He said that due to non-recruitment for years, around 2,064 posts were vacant, due to which the service was badly affected.
He said that the minister was determined to bring innovation in Pakistan Post to meet the modern demands, and provide world-class postal services to the public. After the distribution of 1000 more motorcycles, the total number of two-wheelers would be 2359 in the near future, after which arrangements would be made for the distribution of mail through motorcycles in the remaining beats, he added.
He further said that the ministry was bringing innovation in the system of payment of military pension that would give facility to the retired soldiers in remote villages and backward areas to receive their pension from post office.
He highlighted that the construction of Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) was a longstanding demand of the people of Sindh, “which will be fulfilled by the current democratic government”.
He underlined that M-6 would be completed in a record time of 30 months and it would be constructed according to international standards.
“The M6 motorway will have 15 interchanges, a major bridge over the River Indus, 19 overpass bridges, 82 bridges over canals, six flyovers, and 10 service areas, on a 306 km long mega project”, the spokesman said.
He said,”Along with Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, a service road of 61 kilometers will also be constructed.”
“The estimated cost of the project is Rs 307 billion and the Motorway will pass through the districts of Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Matiari, Benazirabad, Naushahro Feroze, Khairpur, and Sukkur”, he said adding that the speed of economic and social development would increase by providing new employment opportunities in the areas through which the M-6 would pass.
He said the Bahrain-Kalam section of National Highway 95 was opened after which relief supplies started reaching the flood-affected areas of Matiltan, Ariani and Gabral.
He said the floods had affected the road infrastructure greatly during which the ministry and NHA restored traffic on the roads and played a key role in revival of economic and social activities.
He said that Asad Mehmood met with Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev and signed an agreement on international road transport to facilitate easy transportation of goods by road between the two countries. The agreement would pave way for establishing trade links and strengthening cooperation between Russia and Pakistan.
