Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit project is illegal: JUI-F leader

PESHAWAR: A former provincial minister and member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal, Amanullah Haqqani, has called the Bus Rapid Transit project illegal, in a petition filed in the Peshawar High Court.

According to the petitioner, the project is illegal as the provincial government did not submit a feasibility report before starting the work on it. Besides, the petitioner has stated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has taken loan for the project, which would further burden the already indebted authorities.

Moreover, as per the petitioner, the public would be faced with financial issues due to the Bus Rapid Transit project. Therefore, he has requested the court to take notice of the project.

KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak inaugurated the Bus Rapid Transit project in Peshawar on October 19. On the occasion, the chief minister said once completed, the transport system would provide commute to nearly 400,000 passengers daily.

At the inaugural ceremony, Khattak said Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided resources for the project, which is estimated to cost Rs48 billion.

"We promised to provide best means of transportation to the people and the project will be completed in six months," Khattak said, claiming the project is “cheaper than similar projects undertaken by other provinces”.

CM Khattak inaugurates Bus Rapid Transit project in Peshawar

The project, to be completed over next six months, would facilitate 400,000 passengers daily, the KP CM says

He said his government has allocated Rs1 billion to compensate citizens affected by the project.

“The project will earn enough to pay back loans," the chief minister said, lamenting that corruption was widespread and provincial institutions were damaged in past tenures. “We streamlined the institutions."

He said his party has been transforming Peshawar into a “city of flowers" and bringing the change promised by PTI Chairperson Imran Khan in the province.