GILGIT, April 17: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has reportedly withdrawn its monitoring and inspection teams from the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and sacked some of its senior officials and their local subordinates.

Speaking on an adjournment motion in the Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) during its current session, Mehboob Ali Khan, a member from Astore, informed the House that due to the NHA decision the geo-strategically important highway was facing scores of problems.

Mr Khan said the condition of the KKH was deteriorating and at several portions it was badly damaged, which resulted in increased travel hours for Rawalpindi-Gilgit journey.

The member maintained that only a deputy director of the NHA was stationed there to inspect the 660km highway from Thakote to Khunjerab Pass which was in no way in his capacity.

He said the inspection team was there to identify problems and damaged zones and undertake maintenance.

Due to delayed maintenance and no monitoring and the highway remained suspended even for months incurring huge losses to the poverty-stricken region, he added.

In his ruling, NALC Speaker Haji Sahib Khan said that they had sent their recommendations to the relevant quarters for restoration of the inspection teams and reinstatement of the local inspectors for the KKH.

TEACHERS VACANCIES: Over 583 posts of teachers are lying vacant in the Northern Areas educational institutions despite the fact that construction work at many schools has been completed, Northern Areas Education Secretary Jamil Ahmed said.

Briefing a delegation of comprising legislators of the Northern Areas, Mr Ahmed said a summary for the filling of these post had been sent to the finance division.

He said shortage of teachers had been creating a problem in imparting education in the area.

The education secretary said there were 212 unapproved schools in the region whose future was uncertain because of lack of funds.

He said the administration had initiated work on 64 projects worth Rs222.15 million during the current fiscal year but the pace of work on these projects was slowed down due to the negligence of the public works department.

He said sustainability of the study centres which were set up in different areas to impart education to girls was also uncertain as the planing and development department had raised an objection to the provision of funds to teachers.