PHC directs officials to expedite work on bridge

PESHAWAR: Expressing anger over the delay in the construction of a bridge on Warsak Road, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued direction that work on the project should be expedited.

The locals have filed a writ petition in the PHC against the delay in the construction of the bridge on Warsak Road. The petitioners have appealed the court to direct the authorities concerned to complete the project as early as possible as thousands of people are suffering on daily basis due to the delay in building the bridge. A division bench of the PHC headed by Justice Qaiser Rashid expressed its anger after the authorities did not submit comments in the case. "One Bus Rapid Transit is enough to bother the people of Peshawar and the authorities should not deal with every project like the BRT," Justice Qaiser Rashid remarked. The counsel told the court that the work was being carried out by the Communication and Works department and not the Peshawar Development Authority. The court summoned the concerned chief engineer of the Communication and Works department in the case on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a bench of the PHC directed the government to stop the salaries of two senior officials for not submitting comments in a case regarding compensation to a tribesman after his house was damaged during the years of militancy and military operations. Fayyaz Dawar, a resident of North Waziristan, had moved the PHC to complain that his house was destroyed twice in 2004 and 2014, but the government is yet to pay him any compensation. The counsel for the petitioner told the court that the authorities concerned have not submitted comments on the petition during the last seven hearings. The court directed the authorities to stop the salaries of the secretary law and order and the deputy commissioner concerned till they submit comments in the case.