NHA (National Highway Authority) isn’t exactly known for its imaginative spark or the use of their neurons of ingenuity. However, if NHA were to think out of the book – so to speak – and stimulate their opportunistic senses, they would realise that a luminous bundle of hope – one that could instigate their stalled projects – is vying to penetrate inside their household; while the Authority slumbers on with their windows closed. The opportunity that lies in the wait is of the completion of the remaining segments of the Motorway, and sans the expenditure of even half a penny – the sort of opening that even their prognosticating catnap wouldn’t have allowed them to dream of. Now, economists tell us that with every opportunity comes a certain opportunity cost, and the tradeoff for the Authority is merely the act of hurrying up in getting themselves off their lazy backsides.
The current stand of the government to blockade NATO supplies and in turn the preparation of conditions that the organisation must meet before the resumption of supplies has resulted in a fairytale prospect for NHA. For over a decade, NATO and its troops have been using our road network for their supply to Afghanistan via Karachi to Khyber and Chaman; and as a result have damaged a lot of the roads. In fact, some of the aforementioned routes are bordering on worn out leftovers of gravels, rocks and asphalt. And of course it goes without saying that our dear NATO ‘friends’ weren’t generous enough to pay toll taxes for their relentless road deterioration enactments.
Now, while the government mulls over its shopping list that it would want Uncle Sam to finance, NHA can also throw in a few items to add to the list – most notably the construction of the Motorway. The stalled project from Gwadar to Kandahar – one that is used for NATO supplies and Afghan trade – should be the obvious inclusion in the list. And while we ostensibly have an upper hand in this shopping list discussion, for what it’s worth NHA can throw in a couple of other motorway projects into the mix as well. The remaining portion of the Lahore-Karachi Motorway – from Multan to Karachi – and another one from Gwadar to Ratto Dero – as a link to the Lahore-Karchi motorway can also be added to the demands.
While the list might make our uncle think of us as spoilt brats; one feels that we have done enough to deserve this little treat at the tail-end of the holiday season. There is a multitude of reasons that might urge the US to pull out its credit card. First of all, by constructing all these projects the US would be paying the compensation for the damage that it has caused to our road-network, and also recompensing for the toll taxes that were never paid. Afghanistan has also been using our roads candidly, and of course US would have to pay the arrears for that. And yes, it would also be the much needed gesture of goodwill from our dear uncle for the late November disaster that he conjured up. Efficiency of road network would also aid the US, because transport delays would be curbed. USAID should be asked to sign a deal with the government, and the former could ask American contractors to do the job and they could be paid directly. The Agency can discuss the matter with Washington. Meanwhile, NHA can use their funds – with motorway construction taken care of – to ameliorate the National Highway and other problem areas in the country. And of course with the new motorways up and running, the revenue generation would also precipitously increase.
We have been at the receiving end of skewed US policies, and barefaced ingratitude from Washington. About time we started constructing our road to redemption, as the US prowls on its boulevard of broken dreams.
The writer is Sub-Editor,Profit. He can be reached at [email protected]
