Minister orders fast-tracking of stalled highway projects as KP, Punjab blamed for delays

• Abdul Aleem Khan orders NHA to take over stalled projects, saying provincial ‘non-compliance’ hampering key national road schemes

• Directs NHA to independently complete delayed Peshawar Northern Bypass, Rawalpindi-Kahuta projects

• Tells Senate construction of Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway to begin by August or September this year

 ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Friday blamed the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments for delays in key highway projects, directing the National Highway Authority (NHA) to independently complete stalled schemes where necessary.

Chairing a high-level review meeting of the NHA in Islamabad, the minister said delays in provincial commitments were hampering progress on “strategically important” road infrastructure projects across the country.

“Delays caused by provincial non-compliance are affecting progress on critical national road infrastructure and will no longer be tolerated,” Abdul Aleem Khan declared, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Communications.

The minister particularly referred to the prolonged delay in the Peshawar Northern Bypass project, saying the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had failed to fulfill its commitments despite more than five months having passed.

He said the NHA was now prepared to move ahead with completion of the project independently “if the provincial government failed to release the required funds.”

Abdul Aleem Khan also expressed concern over the Rawalpindi-Kahuta road project, observing that the Punjab government had yet to provide its pledged share, prompting the federal authorities to direct the NHA to assume full responsibility for completing the strategically important transit corridor.

In a major policy direction aimed at strengthening the country’s motorway infrastructure, the communications minister ordered expansion of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway from four lanes to six lanes, while directing that the Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi sections also be constructed as six-lane motorways.

Emphasizing quality and timely execution, the minister instructed that feasibility studies for all NHA projects must achieve “100 percent accuracy” and directed officials to complete the final phase of ongoing works — particularly bridges on the Peshawar Northern Bypass — before the onset of the July monsoon season.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary Communications and Chairman NHA, while the minister reiterated that the federal government remained committed to ensuring timely completion of infrastructure projects to enhance national connectivity and transport efficiency.

Work on Long-Awaited Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway To Begin This Year

Separately, speaking during the Senate Question Hour, Abdul Aleem Khan informed the House that construction work on the long-awaited Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway would begin this year, with approvals already granted for three of its five sections and the tendering process currently underway.

Responding to a question raised by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, the minister said the motorway project had been divided into five sections from Sukkur to Hyderabad, adding that practical construction activity was expected to commence by August or September.

He acknowledged that despite financial pressures and shrinking allocations under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the government was continuing efforts to improve the country’s road infrastructure network.

The minister further revealed that 109 toll plazas were currently operational nationwide and said directives had been issued not to collect toll tax on roads in poor condition until rehabilitation work was completed.

Abdul Aleem Khan maintained that toll revenue remained essential for maintaining existing roads and financing construction of new highways, adding that the NHA had generated substantial income through toll collection to support infrastructure development.

Highlighting another major challenge, the minister said overloading by heavy transport vehicles was severely damaging highways, causing roads designed for long-term use to deteriorate within just a few years because of excessive axle loads.

He assured the Senate that the government was taking concrete measures to improve road quality, infrastructure standards and long-term sustainability of the national highway network.