The high court on Tuesday expressed its displeasure over the poor condition of the Swat Expressway, which it said is lying broken at several points.
These remarks were made as a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), comprising Justice Qasier Rashid Khan and Justice Muhammad Nasir Mehfooz heard the case on Tuesday regarding the condition of Swat Expressway.
National Highway Authority (NHA) general manager, project director, Swat Expressway project director and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sikandar Shah appeared before the court.
The NHA general manager told the court that broken sections of the motorway have been repaired. At this, Justice Qaiser told the NHA official not to mislead the court and that no repair work has been done.
The court then pointed to the recent demise of a lawyer in an accident on the Swat motorway. People cannot drive their vehicles fast due to the poor condition of the motorway, the bench remarked.
The court directed the officials to ensure that the broken sections of the motorway are repaired and to submit a comprehensive report on the condition of the expressway at the next hearing.
The case was then adjourned until September 22.
Meanwhile, during the hearing of another case, the PHC sought a reply from the federal defence ministry over the construction of a football ground on private land in North Waziristan district.
A two-member bench, comprising Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Ijaz Anwar heard the case. Additional Advocate General Rab Nawaz Khan appeared in the court.
The petitioner told the court that the government had constructed a football ground over 18 kanals of privately held land. The petitioner said the government should either pay compensation as per the market rate or relinquish possession of the land.
The AAG told the court that football ground had been constructed on the spot after the decision of a local Jirga and that payments have been made to the owners.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2020.
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