‘Road network to boost economic, business activities’

Islamabad : A high-level meeting of the National Highway Authority was chaired by Federal Minister for Communications, Privatization & Board of Investment Abdul Aleem Khan, says a press release. In this meeting the performance of NHA was reviewed while deliberations were made on the ongoing and future projects. The role of the National Highway Authority in economic and business activities and foreign investment was specially discussed in the meeting.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, while talking, said that further improvement of the road network across the country can significantly boost economic and business activities as the road network plays the role of backbone in economy of Pakistan. Federal Minister for Communications said that Hyderabad-Sukkhar Motorway M-6 and Karachi-Hyderabad M-9 can be constructed under Public Private Partnership mode similarly Mansehra-Kaghan Naran Road will be constructed on the Motorway model as highway projects in the upper areas of the country are also attractive for private sector. Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan clarified that increasing the revenue of the National Highway Authority can reduce the burden on the national exchequer therefore NHA should increase its revenue by participating in construction projects in other countries as well and for this purpose legal ways should be adopted for NHA’s activities, abroad.

In the meeting, Chairman National Highway Authority and other senior officers gave a detailed briefing to Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on the performance of the organization and informed him about the progress made so far in the light of his instructions, especially in generation of revenue.

Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan observed that the government will have to give special attention to the construction and improvement of highways of economic and commercial importance as a priority. He said that there is no doubt that many highway construction projects are of great interest to private investment for which the NHA must definitely put its efforts into action at the relevant forum.