RAWALPINDI: After Punjab Masstransit Authority, experts from Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) have assessed that damages worth around Rs146 million were caused to the metro bus stations during violent protests that broke out last week after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

Earlier, Punjab Masstransit Authority highlighted, after initial survey that the cost was Rs40 million but divisional commissioner formed a committee of RDA, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and administration of Metro bus service and the damages were calculated to be at Rs146 million.

RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa told Dawn that Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha formed the committee and its report stated three bus stations were damaged including the one on Sixth Road, Shamsabad (Khatam-i-Nabuwat) and Faizabad. He said that RDA asked Punjab Masstransit Authority to gather a team of experts to conduct survey of the elevated road and pillars of the bus service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad to identify whether or not any damage occurred during fire and riots.

“We handed over the bus stations and elevated road to Punjab Masstransit Authority and it would take action to check the structure but we are here to cooperate with its team of experts,” he said.

On the other hand, Commissioner Chattha, along with other officials, visited the Sixth Road station and took a detailed look at the damage caused to it. In a briefing, they said that so far the losses have been estimated to stand between at Rs107 million and Rs146 million in total.

Along with the administration, every citizen should protect national and public assets themselves, he said, adding that taking law into one’s own hand is not allowed under any circumstances.

He directed authorities to carry out repair work soon. The commissioner said that the temporarily closed metro bus station should be opened for public at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2023