PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct a detailed inquiry into different aspects of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and submit a report within 45 days.

A two-member bench of Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Ahmad Ali, hearing different petitions related to the BRT project, also directed the FIA to take action against the delinquents, if found in the inquiry report.

The bench heard three petitions filed by Fazli Karim Khan Afridi, Adnan Afridi and Mohammad Isa Khan advocate. Mr Karim and Mr Adnan had approached the court praying to declare the proposed construction of stairs and pillars in front of their houses at Station No 31 as unlawful and to direct the respondent, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, to alter the proposed structure after consultation with him.

The third petitioner, Isa Khan, had approached the court seeking direction for the respondents to remove the deficiencies and provide overhead bridges and underpasses at distance not more than 100 meters from each other for the pedestrians and students for crossing the BRT corridor and to provide special emergency access for patients at all the hospitals, including the KTH, LRH, Molvi Jee Hospital and Children Hospital that fall along the main BRT corridor.

The bench in its detailed judgment dismissed the petition of Mr Isa, and allowed those filed by Mr Karim and Mr Adnan and referred the matter to FIA to conduct an inquiry into the matter in the light of 35 points encompassing different aspects of project planning and executions.

The 35 points cover different parts of the project from its inception, planning and execution and ask why the project was cleared by the Provincial Development Working Party and sent to the Planning Commission for approval. “It was the responsibility of the additional chief secretary to convince the chief minister to follow the prescribed procedure especially for mega projects,” it was stated.

One of the points referred to a special BRT cell in the transport department wherein consultants and other human resources were hired, but despite this the project was given to the Peshawar Development Authority.

It was stated that weekly meetings about the project were convened in the Chief Minister’s House and despite that the project was not coordinated well, resulting in loss to the public exchequer. It needs to be studied why important decisions for procurement of consultancies and other related matters were taken and acted upon when the project was not approved.

It was questioned why the principal consultants of the project were paid Rs20 million despite their poor investigations and inadequate planning that led to repeated revision of the project and cost escalations. It was stated why the decision to procure 200 buses was taken when only 65 buses were being used in Punjab for comparatively longer route.

One of the major flaws of the project was stated to be the construction of at-grade corridor on the University Road, which was likely to increase traffic congestion instead of providing ease to commuters.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2019