ECNEC approves 2 mega projects for KP: CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Sunday said that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC), in its recent meeting, had approved to two mega development projects, including Khyber Pass Economic Corridor and Swat Motorway Phase-2.

Through a statement, the chief minister termed the approval of the mega projects as an important achievement of the provincial government. He said that the projects would help promote international trade, tourism, industries and generate economic activities in the province. The Khyber Pass Economic Corridor Project would be completed at an estimate cost of $460 million, he said, adding, it would generate more than 10,000 employment opportunities.

The chief minister termed the Swat Motorway Phase-2 project as of highly importance for the entire province. “The project will boost tourism, trade and other economic activities and generate employment opportunities,” he added.

He added that under the project, a 4-lane motorway of around 80 kilometers would be constructed from Chakdara to Fatehpur area of Swat.

Call to check heavy fines by traffic, highways police

People from a number of districts have asked for same instructions to the traffic cops in their areas, especially on highways, after a video went viral of a police officer warning traffic wardens in Abbottabad district against imposing high fines.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Abbottabad Tariq Mahmood Khan, during a function, took notice of heavy fines by the traffic police and directed them to avoid the practice and instead focus on their duty of ensuring smooth flow of traffic. The SSP traffic Abbottabad even warned that the inspectors, sub-inspectors and ticketing officers imposing heavy fines will be expelled from the traffic police. He said the people are already suffering due to bad economic conditions and police should not bother them further.

The video of the officer during a function went viral, with everyone appreciating the cop who believes in providing relief to the public. The regional police officer Hazara Qazi Jamilur Rehman also supported the stance of the SSP traffic, saying the duty of the force is to provide relief to the public as police is not revenue generating force. After the video, many people from other districts have complained the cops of the district traffic police as well as the highway traffic police have been imposing heavy fines on poor drivers only for their commissions.

They said that apart from senior officers, every ticketing officer and even constables are earning huge amounts in terms of commissions every month, and that is why they are charging the drivers high. They continued that the teams of highway traffic police on highways impose millions of fines on poor truckers and bus drivers since the ratio of fine is higher on these routes.

Govt asked to make web-based customs system functional

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has asked the government to declare the Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi trade routes rebatable and make the web-based customs system functional.

It also urged the government to withdraw the standard operating procedures at Torkham border. SCCI President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz made the demands during a meeting with the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qasier. He led a delegation of the business community from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a press release. Maqsood Pervaiz informed Asad Qaiser about the issues being faced by business community, exporters and importers on both sides of the border. He said that the issues were hampering the Pak-Afghan trade.

The delegation presented different proposals and demands for amicable resolution of issues being faced by the business community on both sides of the border. It demanded the government to withdraw SOPs at Torkham border as the step would help resolve the issue of long queues of export and transit trade trucks at Takht Baig point besides reducing burden of transit trade and export vehicles.