Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, taking serious notice of the incidents of harassment of transporters by officials, directed to formulate a comprehensive plan for strict action. The prime minister stated this while chairing a high-level meeting on the issue of implementation of National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000, the reservations of stakeholders and future course of action regarding the implementation of the law.
The PM stated that the implementation of National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 would help in ensuring roads safety. However, he said the concerns of stakeholders, condition of roads, the capacity of modes of transportation, ie cargo trucks and freight trains, and most importantly the impact of implementation of legislation on common man, must be given due consideration.
He stressed that insufficient modes of transportation and the state of country's economy essentially required that before immediate enforcement of the law, it must be ensured that the implementation of the law does not adversely impact industry and the people. The PM directed all the facts should be placed before the Honorable Courts for pleading a phased implementation of the law. Simultaneously, increasing the number of cargo trucks and enhancement of capacity of Pakistan Railways should also be focused. The meeting was attended by Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood and senior officials from the Ministries of Communications and Commerce.