Construction work on the long-awaited Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway will begin in May this year, as the National Highway Authority (NHA) accelerates progress on major connectivity projects under the direction of Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan.

The decision to start work was taken during an NHA meeting chaired by Abdul Aleem Khan, where officials were instructed to take immediate and practical steps to ensure timely execution of the project.

The minister made it clear that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway is now a top priority, urging officers to remove bottlenecks and fast-track preparations ahead of the construction phase.

During the meeting, NHA officials informed the minister that the Hyderabad and Karachi motorways would be completed under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

The feasibility of the Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway was also discussed and will be reviewed further in upcoming NHA meetings as part of the authority’s long-term infrastructure planning.

Sialkot-Kharian motorway M-12 expanded

The federal minister was briefed on the progress of the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway (M-12), which is now being expanded from four lanes to six lanes to accommodate future traffic needs.

Abdul Aleem Khan also directed that the motorway be connected to Kartarpur, enhancing access for religious tourism and improving regional connectivity.

Highlighting the importance of religious and cultural tourism, the minister said that Sikh pilgrims will hold roadshows in Canada, the United States, and Europe to promote tourism linked to Kartarpur.

He noted that improved road infrastructure would play a vital role in facilitating international visitors and strengthening people-to-people ties.

Motorway planning focused on next 30 years

“To make motorways economically viable and practically useful, major cities must be properly connected,” Abdul Aleem Khan said during the meeting.

He emphasized that new motorway projects should be planned according to the needs of the next 30 years, rather than short-term requirements.

The meeting also reviewed issues related to NHA’s right of way, advertisements, and other administrative and operational matters.

Chairman NHA and senior officials briefed the minister on key challenges and progress, assuring him that work on priority infrastructure projects was moving ahead as planned.