PESHAWAR, Jan 27: The NWFP government has decided to approach the federal government for commissioning a shuttle train service and improving the road infrastructure in the provincial capital.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the provincial cabinet’s sub-committee on Peshawar Development Package held here on Tuesday under Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, provincial Minister for Sports and Culture Syed Aqil Shah told Dawn.

Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti had constituted the committee to prepare recommendations for a proposed development package for Peshawar. The committee comprised ministers hailing from Peshawar, including Arbab Ayub Jan, Syed Zahir Shah, Syed Aqil Shah and Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan.

Later, provincial Minister for Transport Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Additional Chief Secretary Javed Iqbal and the secretary for local government and rural development were also made part of the committee.

The committee had been tasked to chalk out a working plan for providing better facilities to people in the social sector, including health, education, transport and water supply.

According to Mr Shah, the meeting decided that the committee would soon meet federal ministers hailing from Peshawar to secure their support to improve the existing road network and commission a shuttle train service from Chamakani to Hayatabad.

Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Arbab Almgir and Arbab Mohammad Zahir, the federal ministers for railways, communications and defence, respectively, hail from Peshawar. They could contribute a lot in execution of the projects, opined Mr Shah.

The proposed meeting with the federal ministers, he said, would be held in Islamabad, where heads of federal ministries concerned would also be present to make timely decisions.

Shuttle train service is a long-awaited project, which could not materialise over the years because the railway track linking the Peshawar city with Hayatabad passes through the middle of the runway of the Peshawar airport.

Mr Shah said the issue could be resolved if the railway track was bypassed from the airport, saying “for this we will need railways minister’s help”.

Similarly, the road infrastructure of the provincial capital was in a shabby condition, said Mr Shah, adding: “Since the portfolio of communication is held by a minister from Peshawar, he can support us effectively in keeping the roads in good condition.”

The committee would compile its report, which would be sent to the chief minister for implementation, said Mr Shah.

The meeting, according to him, reviewed a number of projects to be initiated in Peshawar in the coming days, which included provision of potable water to the city from the Warsak Dam and construction of 13 underpasses for smooth and uninterrupted passage of traffic at busy squares.

Similarly, projects for improvement of public transport, controlling traffic and environmental problems, construction of modern bus terminal, starting work on the northern bypass to link the Charsadda road with the Jamrud road were also reviewed by the meeting.

The meeting also decided that old and smoke-emitting public transport vehicles would be replaced with new ones while both registration and permit issuing would be made compulsory for new public transport in future.

Shakeel Qadir, chief economist, provincial planning and development department, told the meeting that an emergency service offering medical cover during disasters was being put in place at three different locations in Peshawar.

The service, to be called Rescue 1122, will have centres at Warsak Road, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Haji Camp.

Also, he said, fire brigade equipment was being provided to the towns of Peshawar and latest fire extinguishing motorcycles would also be arranged to control fire incidents in narrow streets.