ISLAMABAD Owing to paucity of funds and adverse law and order situation in Balochistan, most of the National Highway Authority (NHA) projects including roads linking the Gwadar Port with other areas, which are considered crucial for making it a hub for transit trade, are getting delayed. Among the 19 projects including M-8 (Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab) and most of others, are still under construction even after passing the stipulated dates, official sources told TheNation. Due to slow progress of the work and law and order situation in the province, even half of the work could not be completed on some of the projects as around 75 percent work is still to be done on Sorab-Basima-Naag-Panjgur-Hoshab(454 Km) Road even after passing three years. Paucity of the funds and law and order situation in Balochistan have been major factors behind the delay of the NHAs road projects, said General Manager Coastal Highway Project, Col (Retd) Javed Akhtar while talking to TheNation. According to the official NHA progress report, the work on the M-8 project has been around 60 percent completed. While the sources told that remaining work on an important road might take more five years. The work on the (M-8) Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab was started on September 15 and its completion year was 2010 but only 60 percent work has been completed so far, which clearly indicates too much delay in completion of the important project. While, the Gwadar Port is being considered much important for the progress of the country but delayed payment, poor performance by the contractor and heavy flood in June 2007 are the officially stated reasons behind the delay in completion of this project. Delay in the payment and paucity of the funds has become the major reasons for the delay in completion of most of the projects. For instance, The National Highway Authority (NHA) has to pay Rs 7 billion to Frontier Works Organization (FWO) for long-time, revealed NHA official sources. The progress report further suggested that around 10 projects are still underway despite passing of their stipulated dates and in some of cases the dates have been revised due to certain reasons. The projects which could not be completed even after passing of the stipulated dates are: (N-25) Widening of Kalat-Quetta-Chaman, Kalat-Quetta(60 km), Quetta-Chaman(57 Km), Lakpass Tunnel (180M), Musli Bagh-Qila Saifulla (50km), Ormara-Pasni section and other .It is worth mentioning here that in some of the cases, the dates have also been revised due to certain reasons. However, it may be mentioned here that though most of the projects have not been completed but some of the projects are substantially completed. As one of the important project, Pleri-Gabd section (36.63(KM) ,(another link for Iran after Taftan)has been completed and inaugurated by the Prime Minister, said official sources. Other substantially completed projects include Khanozai-Muslim Bagh section (50 km), Liari-Ormara section, Ormara-Pasni section (243 km) and others. When contacted, General Manager Coastal Highway Project, Col(r) Javed Akhtar said the Gwadar Port is functional while on Makran Coastal Highway more 8000 Trailer has been passed in one year carrying urea and sugar. Another road that is underway could also be vital for the port, he said. Yes, the NHA has to pay seven billion to the FWO in different project, he said adding the NHA was attaching top priority to development of roads linking Gwadar Port to other areas. When contacted, Federal Minister for Communications, Dr Arbab Alamgir said that an important conference of the NHA Chairman, Secretary Communication , minister and other important officials has been scheduled to discuss the important projects. The M-8 is important project and it will be completed, he added.