Rawalpindi - On Sunday last early morning when people had hardly woken up due to weekly holiday, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif, who had been keenly waiting for the inauguration of much delayed multi-billion project of Metro Bus Service (MBS), visited the city to see by himself what the media was portraying the picture of the project, quality of workmanship and maybe the sufferings of the locals.
Though his visit was a good move, yet the time chosen by him was surprising because at that time majority of people had not woken up as just a few vehicles were plying on roads and construction workers were relaxing while only the local leadership of PML-N, including MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed and ex-MNA Hanif Abbasi and others, were on toes for the whole night to join the CM.
Interestingly, on his surprise visit when majority of citizens was either sleeping or remained indoor, the high-ups of City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) claimed that the CM had strictly prohibited them from according him any protocol or stopping traffic for his inter-city movement.
Thanks to CM Mian Shahbaz Sharif who spared some time out of his unavoidable busy schedule after the passage of more than one year to see the quality of construction, workmanship and give seven-day deadline to remove the debris scattered on roads and lift the garbage. Unfortunately, the CDGR and other civic bodies, including the contractors, could not remove the debris from many places.
Has the CM realised the price paid by the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad generally and traders particularly in different shapes and financial losses they suffered due to the MBS Project? Will the residents of the garrison city get rid of traffic gridlocks on Benazir Bhutto Road, Airport Road and Mareer Chowk and other parts of the city after the completion of bus project on which considerable public money had been spent?
People belonging to various walks of life interviewed by The Nation on Saturday said none of the PML-N’s local leaders had ever made any interaction with general public during the construction phase and ever tried to redress the problems they had been facing due to the poor planning and supervision.
The PML-N local leadership often seemed to be visiting the offices of district administration and senior police officers to get a favour for their blue eyed police officers or voters rather than playing their role for resolving the traffic and other problems being faced by the residents of the city. The resident also invited the chief minister to visit the arteries of Benazir Bhutto Road and observed huge holes and rough surface of roads that leave very little grip for vehicles plying on it.
An old time resident of the city said, “Despite spending a huge amount on the MBS Project, the traffic problems on the city roads will remain intact because the capacity of Benazir Bhutto Road has been reduced due to the space covered by heavy pillars and bottle necks at Committee Chowk and Naz Cinema.”
He said how the district administration would prevent public transporters from using BBR and wrong parking since the local leadership comes to their rescue for being their voters.
An architect Sardar Aftab Ahmed Khan told The Nation, “It would have been better to engage a foreign construction company of good repute to redesign the city roads and have a good quality of construction as had been done in the case of Motorway starting from Islamabad to Lahore.”
A trade union leader criticised the N-League leadership and Coordinator of MBS Project and said, “All are trying to present a rosy picture before the chief minister regarding the MBS project, urging upon the CM to meet traders himself to know about their apprehensions.” What to talk about the poor horticulture work along the track as seasonal plants were planted along with other saplings but without using fertiliser. While doing horticulture work, heaps of mud were scattered on newly carpeted road and tough tile surface which made their look ugly.
Though construction work on Lai Bridge near Rialto Chowk and Command and Control Room at Saddr will take a huge time to complete, the authorities have been making tall claims about completion of the bus project and its inauguration on May 23.
In the past, the district administration had made several attempts to close the U-Turns near Naz Cinema and Asghar Mall but due to interference of local leadership of PML-N, including former MNA Haji Pervaiz, the crossings were reopened. In short, the residents are eagerly waiting for the day to see the CM’s orders for removing debris, heaps of mud and garbage were obeyed.
A source also disclosed to The Nation that the dream of citizens would be fulfilled as Chief Minister CM Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif might pay another surprise visit to the city today (Sunday) to examine the pace of work on the MBS Project. Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, the coordinator, was not available for his comments despite several attempts made by The Nation.