KABUL (PAN): The public works minister-designate Tuesday briefed the Lower House of Parliament on his plans and pledged to construct roads in areas currently inaccessible. Muhammad Bashir Laali told legislators the US, the Karzai government, aid agencies and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) were all building roads but there was no coordination among them. "If confirmed as minister, I will surely coordinate road construction among these agencies," he promised, saying the Hairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat- Torghundi, Zaranj-Mazar and Hairatan-Torghundi rail projects would be implemented. He added that several other highways and roads in provinces, districts and villages would also be constructed and asphalted. He identified insecurity and lack of transparency in contracts as main issues for the Public Works Ministry. If he got a vote of confidence, Laali would award contracts to local companies and cancel his US citizenship. A month back, the house decided not to give the trust vote to the cabinet nominees with dual citizenship. Initially, Mirza Hussain Abdullahai was introduced as public works minister, but he failed to win the trust vote from lawmakers. mnm/mud
