Basharat vows ‘metropolitan’ status for Rawalpindi

Punjab law minister says funds have been allocated for building Leh Expressway

RAWALPINDI: Even though they ended the local government system in the province over a year before their tenure ended, the ruling Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has promised to soon grant Rawalpindi the coveted status of a metropolitan.

This was promised by Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Local Bodies and Community Development Basharat Raja. He said this while chairing a meeting at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Sunday.

During the meeting, he hailed the efforts of RCCI for taking the lead on the ‘Glorious Rawalpindi’ project to beautify the city and assured them of full support and assistance to revive the glory of the city.

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He said that the Punjab government’s primary focus was to develop urban centres across Punjab, adding that owing to its historical importance, Rawalpindi could even be developed as a tourist attraction.

A resident of Rawalpindi himself, Basharat pointed out that the city’s largest artery Murree Road was clogged with workshops and encroachments on either side. To ease the congestion, he said that they will construct a parking plaza in Rawalpindi.

He added that land for a police residential complex in Bagh Sardaran could also be utilised for building a library or a university.

With the PTI government often making the metro bus service a target for their ridicule and a symbol for the alleged financial excesses of the previous regime led by the opposing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Basharat said that the metro bus was an expensive service. However, he said that their government was continuing to subsidize it for public welfare.

To further address mass transit issues of the city, he said that funds for Leh Expressway have been allocated.

With Eidul Azha just around the corner, Basharat said that they will soon establish a model cattle market. The first one in this regard will be established in Attock.

Talking about law and order in the city, the provincial law minister said that the Punjab police had been provided funds for development but it was up to the discretion of the police officials to utilize them according to their requirements.

However, he said that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar — who visited the city in the past week — had promised a special fund for the Naseerabad police station.

The minister went on to clarify that the recent suspension of three SHOs was not the result of any politically-motivated intervention, rather it was the result of a routine administrative issue.

The minister said that they will take all stakeholders on board to resolve issues of the city, including encroachment, shifting of wholesale markets, fruit and vegetable markets to Ring Road, parking in the main markets, waste management, traffic congestion and reconditioning of historical buildings.

Basharat also hailed the Police Coordination Committee initiative of the RCCI to address the grievances of traders for settling disputes outside courts. However, he suggested that the government was planning to launch an Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC) at the local level to help resolve the public’s grievances at police stations.

He also assured of every possible support in funding for building a link road leading to the Rawat Industrial Estate, upgrading the Social Security Dispensary, renovating the Rawalpindi Gymkhana and other development projects in the city.

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The RCCI President gave a detailed overview of chambers’ activities and upcoming events to promote trade activities in the city. He sought the government’s cooperation in addressing various issues including property tax, board tax, dual taxation and amendments in laws which were thwarting the development of the city.

He said that RCCI was completely participating in clean and green project and in this regard it planted around 65,000 saplings across the city. He suggested allocating space for high rise buildings in surrounding of Leh Expressway to create residential facilities while he demanded that wholesale markets of Rawalpindi should be moved around Ring Road.

He added that Punjab House Rawalpindi should be converted into an IT park while he added that such high taxes existed nowhere in the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2019.