Govt approves 70km Murree Expressway extension to Muzaffarabad

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to extend the Murree Expressway by 70 kilometres to Muzaffarabad, according to details shared after a National Highway Authority (NHA) meeting chaired by Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on Thursday.

The communications ministry said the meeting reviewed the NHA’s financial close and discussed infrastructure priorities for the current fiscal year. During the session, the minister announced the extension of the Murree Expressway, also identified as N-75, to Muzaffarabad in a move the ministry said would improve regional connectivity.

The planned expansion will link Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with Pakistan’s wider motorway and expressway network and is intended to provide residents with a faster and safer travel route. Khan said the project would open what he described as a modern phase of secure transport for the people of AJK, adding that they should have access to the same "high-calibre" motorway facilities available in other parts of the country.

Priority projects for current fiscal year

At the meeting, the minister directed NHA officials to focus first on completing projects already under way instead of starting new ones. He said the authority should devote its resources during the current fiscal year to finishing 25 priority schemes before moving on to fresh initiatives.

Among the projects highlighted by Khan was the M-8 Motorway. He instructed the NHA to accelerate work on the Hoshab–Awaran Road and the Awaran–Nal section. He said these routes were important for promoting trade with neighbouring Iran and for helping realise the tourism potential of the area.

NHA finances and restructuring plan

While reviewing the authority’s longer-term financial position, Khan also laid out a plan for restructuring the NHA to make it financially self-reliant. He said the authority would be reorganised to generate as much as Rs400 billion a year from its own internal revenue sources instead of depending on federal funding.

The meeting ended after detailed briefings from the communications secretary and the NHA chairman on the organisation’s fiscal closeout and strategic operational roadmap, according to the ministry.

Work on the route has continued during Khan’s tenure, including a visit he made to the expressway in November last year to examine beautification, rehabilitation and improvement work along the road. The road has seen multiple accidents. Earlier this month, at least 10 people were killed and 13 others were injured when a van caught fire after plunging into a nullah while taking a turn, the National Highways and Motorway Police said.