ISLAMABAD - National Highway Authority (NHA) Member Central Zone Abdul Samad Khan has said that the country is going to join the group of developed nations with completion of road network of the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said this while addressing the NHA stakeholders consultation meeting on annual maintenance plan 2015-16 held at a local hotel in Lahore on Thursday, said a press release received here.
GM RAMD Akram Saqlain, DIG Motorway Central Mirza Farhan Baig, Dr Hafiz Ahmed Buksh Member Central Zone, Col Zulfiqar Janjua GM Punjab, Mujtaba Memon, Jamal Nasir, Habib-ur-Rehman and other NHA officials were also present on the occasion.
Abdul Samad said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would lay the foundation stone of Lahore-Karachi Motorway section Sukkur to Multan this month while the NHA would upgrade all the important roads of the country besides extending the National Trade Corridor.
He said the NHA was committed to provide extended safe road network as per vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
He said the consultation conference would help the NHA to make new legislation and proper implementation of rule already exist, he added there was a need to eliminate all hazards of transportation, including overloading and over speed, so the country could rise as new economy through road infrastructure of international standard.
The NHA under the Federal Ministry of Communications is responsible for 7,000 kms long National Highway Network and Motorway systems, which carries 75 to 80 percent of the total commercial traffic, he added.
He said the provincial highway departments were responsible for about 80,000 km provincial road networks.
The remaining network comprises municipal and district roads. The NHA’s main artery is the 1760-km long N-5 highway, which carries over 55 percent of the country’s inter-city traffic. He said the NHA secured delivery of efficient, reliable, safe and environment friendly national highway network with the view to improve quality of life in Pakistan.
Earlier, members and officials of NHA in their separate briefings aimed to provide a safe road network through rehabilitation and maintenance work and said that a huge amount had been allocated for maintenance, rehabilitation and modernization of road network.