Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications has expressed strong reservations over the excessive number of toll plazas on the Karachi-Hyderabad M-9 Motorway, accusing the National Highway Authority (NHA) of adopting a bureaucratic attitude and disregarding public concerns.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Syed Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani to review matters related to the Pakistan Post, National Highway Authority, and various ongoing road projects. During the meeting, Pakistan Post officials informed the committee that post offices located within government buildings were not being closed to prevent illegal occupation of the premises.
Chairman Jakhrani also voiced dissatisfaction over delays in passport delivery through Pakistan Post, directing authorities to address systemic flaws and improve service efficiency.
Committee members raised serious objections to the unusually high number of toll plazas along the M-9 Motorway, terming it an 'injustice' to the people of Karachi and Hyderabad.
Committee member Waseem Hussain lashed out at NHA officials for what he described as a bureaucratic and dismissive approach towards public representatives. He accused NHA officials of misleading the committee and announced his intention to raise the issue before the Privilege Committee.
'There are toll plazas every two to three kilometers - such an example does not exist anywhere,' he said, emphasizing that the burden on commuters was unacceptable.
Member Abrar Ali Shah also criticized the toll tax regime, arguing that the revenue collected was not being properly utilized for road maintenance. However, the Secretary of Communications clarified that toll revenue was NHA's primary income source and was used for road upkeep.
The committee further discussed the Toll Plaza Rationalization and Equity Bill 2025, recommending that local residents be exempted from toll taxes. The draft bill has been forwarded to the Ministry of Law and Justice, which has been asked to vet and submit its report within 15 days.
The meeting also reviewed the poor condition of highways in Balochistan and delays in several development projects. NHA Chairman admitted that maintenance of national highways across the country was below standard and cited land acquisition delays as a major cause for project slowdowns.
The committee was informed that an inquiry report regarding the awarding of a contract to a blacklisted Chinese company for the Karachi-Hyderabad carriageway project had been submitted to the Prime Minister's Office. Several other projects, including the Ratodero-Kashmore section, are being executed with Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance.