ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned chairman of Capital Development Authority (CDA) Noorul Amin Mengal on Thursday to discuss cracks that developed in the newly constructed Margalla Road.

“This is a disturbingly urgent matter. We would like to know how cracks have developed in the new Margalla Road. Payments to the contractors must be stopped immediately whether it is the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) or the National Logistics Cell (NLC),” said PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan.

He took up the matter after discussing the audit report of the Ministry of Industries and Production at the Parliament building on Wednesday.

The Margalla Road, which is yet to be formally inaugurated, stretches from GT Road to D-12 and has been opened for traffic. However, it is yet to be formally inaugurated as some work on it is still pending, including a 700-metre portion of the road.

Mr Khan observed that cracks had developed on both sides of the road near Shah Allah Ditta underpass, raising questions over the quality of construction work.

Reportedly, CDA’s Member Engineering Syed Munawar Shah said that cracks developing in newly-built roads were a matter of routine, adding that the road was still incomplete.

“So far, handing/taking over of the road has not been done. But we opened it to facilitate the public. The cracks in question will be redone within a few days. In this portion of the road, we had to do a 10 to 12 feet filling,” he said, adding that except a small patch the entire road was state-of-the-art,“ he said.

A few days ago, the chairman of CDA had visited the site and directed the contractor to resolve the issue.

Nonetheless, cracks in the newly constructed Margalla Road suggest substandard quality of work, observed Mr Khan.

The CDA is executing the project through another contractor - National Logistics Cell (NLC). The project worth around Rs3.9 billion also has five culverts and an interchange at E-11 and is supposed to be completed in six months.

Similarly, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Wajiha Qamar, said that chairman of CDA also needed to explain the increase in encroachments across the federal capital, especially in markets. The committee wondered why seating arrangements in front of restaurants were removed one day but a few days later, chairs were seen again on sidewalks and blocking public access areas.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2023