Allies' reservations on Karachi to be redressed: President

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday said the reservations of allies in the ruling coalition would be addressed satisfactorily especially with regard to Karachi situation, Geo News reported.

Briefing about this meeting, spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said the President directed that the complaint cells be made effective and victims be provided all possible relief. He said that the safety and security of the victims and witnesses of all such cases must also be ensured and the victims be encouraged to report cases of extortion.

The President emphasized upon the need to strengthen the Police force, investigation, information gathering system and the prosecution. He advised the federal government to provide all possible support to the provincial government in dealing with law and order situation and complaints of extortions.

Later, the President also chaired two separate meetings, one on the developmental projects especially the construction of Kachhi canals and small/medium dams and the other on Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway--the M-9 project-- and construction of roads in Sindh.

Briefing the meeting on dams, Chairman WAPDA Shakeel Durrani informed that WAPDA had undertaken construction of small/medium dams. He said that the tenders for Phase-1 projects were invited on International Competitive Bidding (ICB) basis and the contracts for construction of Darawat, Nai Gaj and Naulong Dams were awarded.

He informed the meeting that the construction of Darawat Dam was at full swing and the project would substantially be completed by June 2013. On Naulong in Jhal Magsi and Nai Gaj in Dadu, Chairman WAPDA informed the meeting that contractors have been appointed and the work would start soon.

Chairman WAPDA informed that the funding of these three dams namely Darawat, Naulong and Nai Gaj, was linked with Exim Bank of China.

The President directed Secretary EAD to sort out with the Exim Bank the procedural formalities and the flow of funds for these dams so that the work was not hampered.

The meeting was also briefed about the progress and current status of Winder and Ghabir dams.

During the third meeting, the progress on conversion of 4-lane Karachi-Hyderabad Super Highway into a 6-lane Motorway, the M-9 Project, and other roads in Sindh was reviewed.

It was informed that for M-9 project, the process of signing Concession agreement was completed during this January and mutation/transfer of land in favour of NHA was also completed. The meeting was also briefed about the progress on the construction of roads in Sindh that were damaged due to the floods.

The President said that the budgetary and financial constraints warrant exploration of all possibilities of Public-Private Partnership in the infrastructural projects. He said that the Government was encouraging direct private investment in the infrastructure development projects.

He expressed the hope that with the success of M-9 project on BOT basis, NHA would be able to deliver other projects on BOT/Public Private Partnership basis to reduce the burden on PSDP resources which could then be diverted for uplift of remote areas hitherto neglected.