Govt tasks Ahad Cheema to probe into delay of metro project

ISLAMABAD: The Federal government has appointed Ahad Khan Cheema as inquiry officer for ascertaining the reasons for the delay of the Islamabad metro project starting from Peshawar Mor to the Airport.

Sources said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on April 14, 2022, ordered an inquiry into the delay in the launch of the Islamabad metro project subsequently PM Sharif tasked Ahad Cheema to probe the matter.

The Establishment Division has recently exonerated Ahad Khan Cheema from the charges/allegations levelled against him in the Charge Sheet/Statement of Allegations.

“Consequent upon finalization of the disciplinary proceedings initiated in terms of Rule 9 of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020 vide Order of Inquiry of even number dated 24.09.2021.

The Secretary Establishment Division, as Authority in terms of Rob 2 (1) (c) of the Rules ibid read with Rob 6 of Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973, has been pleased to exonerate Ahad Khan Cheema from the charges/allegations levelled against him in Charge Sheet/Statement of Allegations of even number dated 24.09.2021 in terms of Rule 16 (5) of the Rules ibid”, the document stated.

“Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Peshawar Mor Metro bus station at 7:00 am to review the on-ground progress. The project initiated by PML-N in 2017 was planned to be completed in 2018 but delays occurred. The PM has ordered an inquiry into the delays”, he tweeted.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) while approving the metro project from Peshawar Mor to Islamabad airport in 2017, directed the National highway authority to complete the construction work and according to the spokesperson of NHA that the department completed the construction of track within given time in 2019.

On the other hand, Sources said that CDA has written three to four letters to project director IMBS for the construction of Infrastructure and allied works for the metro bus service from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad airport.

according to details, CDA requested for the fourth time to ensure completion of the remaining works including the removal of all design and execution defects highlighted to you from time to time adding that the delay in the protection has already caused citizens inconvenience and people including students studying in universities located along the corridor are desperately waiting for the metro bus service to be launched.

Responsibility for this financial- cum-human resource waste as a result of poor planning and execution on part of the Consultant may be affixed at the earliest and CDA be intimated accordingly NHA is therefore once again requested to ensure completion of the remaining works including removal of defective works with next few days positively to ensure the early start of Metro Bus Service.

It is worth mentioning here that the CDA on March 10, 2022, in a press statement, said that the third-party pre-shipment inspection of buses for the metro project has been completed in China and buses will be reached Pakistan in twenty days adding that it stated that the trial run of this project would be in the first week of April this month.

Sources said that the PM will inaugurate this project on Monday as he ordered the CDA to complete all the pending work by Saturday, April 16, 2022.

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