APP
Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan told the Senate on Tuesday that Rs116 billion out of Rs164 billion received last year under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) was spent on projects in Balochistan, saying the province had received a major share of the development funds.
Responding to senators’ questions, he said Rs224 billion had been allocated for the ministry’s projects last year, while the total estimated cost of 66 projects in the pipeline was around Rs3 trillion. He said about Rs100 billion had been spent on a single road project in Balochistan.
The minister said work was under way on several projects in the province and their details had been provided to the senators. He said law and order problems had delayed work on one road section but offered to provide further details about specific projects.
Referring to the N-25, he said the project had an estimated cost of Rs400 billion and was progressing. He expected the road to be completed by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Aleem Khan said the government was ready to address concerns about any specific road and would share project details with the relevant senators. Moreover, Aleem Khan on Tuesday acknowledged concerns about the condition of the M-2 motorway, saying the matter was being taken up for necessary action.
Responding to Senator Abid Sher Ali in the Senate, he said the concern was valid and assured the House that steps would be taken to improve the motorway’s condition. The minister said some roads and motorways needed maintenance and that the matter was being raised at relevant forums.
He added that companies responsible for road maintenance under agreements with the government were required to look after their assigned sections.
Separately, Aleem Khan told the Senate on Tuesday that Pakistan Post was facing an annual loss of around Rs12 billion, which could rise to Rs18 billion to Rs19 billion if pension expenses were included.
Replying to a question by Senator Shahadat Awan, he said that the government was preparing a policy to reduce the department’s costs. Options under consideration included reducing its workforce or privatising the service, and a detailed plan would be presented to the House later, he said.
The minister said that Pakistan Post had 9,707 units across the country, including 2,887 departmental post offices and 6,735 extra-departmental offices, along with 85 formations. It listed a province-wise staff strength of 15,051, while the minister said the department currently had around 22,000 employees.
Aleem Khan said staff expenses accounted for a large part of the department’s costs. He added that recruitment and staffing followed provincial quotas, with shares distributed among the provinces according to the prescribed criteria.