• Frontier Constabulary, Coast Guard told not to humiliate travellers
• AAG asked to furnish report by first week of December
• Report sought from NHA chairman on status of different highways

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has expressed dismay over the conduct of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and the Coast Guard (CG) and observed that both should perform their duties in a professional manner and not humiliate and insult travellers going to work through highways.

The observation was made during the hearing on the poor condition of the RCD Highway — also known as N-25 Balochistan Highway — by a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.

The suo motu case was initiated on reports of poor condition of the RCD Highway, Balochistan, which resulted in a number of fatal accidents.

The court’s attention was drawn towards complaints of constant harassment of travellers at the hands of the FC and CG on N-25 Balochistan Highway.

The court was also told that the vehicles plying on the highway were stopped occasionally at different points where the travellers were made to wait for hours in the name of checking.

Consequently, Additional Attorney General Sohail Mehmood was ordered to get instructions about the alleged conduct of the FC and CG and furnish a comprehensive report to the apex court before the first week of December when the matter would be taken up again.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman was also directed to present a comprehensive report about the status of different highways in Pakistan.

The N-25 Highway is the only major carriageway that caters to transport as the 813km-long road passes through Karachi, Bela, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Quetta and Chaman to enter Afghanistan. According to reports, accidents mostly occurred in the area between Bela, Khuzdar, Kalat and Mastung districts of Balochistan.

In its order which was issued on Nov 10, the Supreme Court noted that the NHA was doing some work on the Hub-Khuzdar-Quetta Chaman Highway (N-25) but its condition as mentioned in its report showed that 22.63 per cent of the highway was in poor condition, 69.13pc was in fair state while only 8.24pc was good.

This seems to be a farce especially when billions are spent on the maintenance of N-25, the court regretted, directing the NHA chairman to ensure the highway was 100pc in good condition and having all facilities.

Normally it has been noted that reflectors and road signs are installed on the highway but those reflectors do not work properly since they are painted and visible only in the day light, the court observed, adding that even the road lanes were painted in a manner that they could not withstand even one spell of rains.

The two-judge bench said the highway also lacked different warning road signs required to be installed for the safety of the public, adding that the highways apparently were shorn of trees as no tree was planted or grown on the sides of the highways.

The court was also bitter with the overall condition of N-25 and non-existence of the highway between Chitral and Gilgit, although it was shown in the map of the highway.

The standard of work is pathetic, non-conforming to the rules and the building codes and the highways are in dangerous condition, where public life is at constant risk, the SC regretted.

The apex court also observed that the NHA report showed that the National Highway and Safety Ordinance 2000 had been promulgated but no Highway Police had been established to ensure safe road travel and control of traffic on N-25.

The court ordered the Inspector General National Highways and Motorway Police to explain why no police force was deployed on N-25 and if deployed why so many accidents were taking place on the artery.

During the last hearing in June, the CJP had expressed his dismay over the fact that roads maintained by the NHA were in dilapidated condition which had developed potholes when it rained.

He regretted that due to the negligence and irresponsible attitude of the authority, scores of innocent lives were lost to road accidents.

The chief justice also cited a 2018 report in which it was highlighted that 5,932 passengers died in 12,894 road accidents and around 36,000 people lost their lives in roadside accidents during the current year.

Media reports suggests that the main reason of accidents on N-25 Highway was that this road was built 30 years ago when Balochistan had a low population, with less traffic easily accommodated on a two- lane carriageway.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2021