Toll plazas at motorways under FWO control, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that toll plazas on motorways had been ‘handed over’ to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

During the question hour, the government disclosed that toll plazas on all motorways in the country had been let out to the FWO while toll plazas on the GT road had been let out to private contractors through a bidding process.

This was stated by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shiekh Aftab Ahmad in reply to a supplementary question by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar, who asked for details about toll plaza rented out to the FWO and its terms and conditions.

The minister stated that the toll collection on motorways had been entrusted to the FWO under an arrangement. Later, talking to the media, Babar said that doling out of lucrative contracts ‘under undisclosed arrangements’ to the FWO was an important issue.

On one hand, it involved the desirability of security establishment’s involvement in industrial, business and real estate activities and the shrinking space of the civilian private sector in economic development on the other.

Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir said Pakistan was comprehensively engaged with Iran to enhance trade and economic relations with the fraternal country.He pointed out that the bilateral relations had witnessed an impetus following the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Iran in May 2014.

Khurram Dastgir said the two countries have committed to enhance bilateral trade to five billion dollars.He said government was working on several important projects with Iran, including gas pipeline project and import of electricity from Iran.

The minister informed the Senate that the government was in the process of finalising deal for construction of Phase-1 of the gas pipeline project from Gwadar to Nawabshah.In the second phase, the remaining 80 kilometre of the pipeline will be constructed as soon as the sanctions on Iran were completely lifted.He said Pakistan would also enhance import of electricity from Iran to 100 megawatt from the current 74 megawatt.