Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has announced major expansions of key motorway projects across Pakistan, including widening the Lahore–Sialkot Motorway, while also expressing dissatisfaction over delays by provincial governments.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting of the National Highway Authority (NHA), where progress on several infrastructure projects was reviewed.
The minister confirmed that the Lahore–Sialkot Motorway will be expanded from four lanes to six lanes.
He also announced that the Sialkot–Kharian and Kharian–Rawalpindi motorways will also be upgraded to six lanes, aiming to improve traffic flow and regional connectivity.
The expansions are part of broader efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s national highway infrastructure network.
Federal government takes notice of project delays
During the meeting, Abdul Aleem Khan expressed concern over delays in ongoing development projects, particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He noted that the federal government had waited several months for progress on the Peshawar Northern Bypass but would no longer delay action.
The minister warned that if KP does not allocate funds, the federal government will complete the project independently.
Deadline set for Peshawar Northern Bypass
Abdul Aleem Khan directed authorities to complete the bridges on the Peshawar Northern Bypass before July.
He also emphasized that no further delays would be tolerated and instructed officials to speed up construction work.
The minister said incomplete infrastructure projects must be finalized before the onset of the monsoon season.
The federal minister also criticized the Punjab government for failing to fulfill its financial commitments to the Rawalpindi–Kahuta project.
He said the lack of cooperation from provinces was slowing down national development initiatives.
Due to these delays, the National Highway Authority (NHA) may now take full responsibility for completing stalled projects.
NHA directed to accelerate work
Abdul Aleem Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the overall pace of NHA projects and called for immediate improvements in execution.
He instructed officials to ensure that feasibility studies for all ongoing projects are accurate and finalized at 100 percent efficiency.
The minister stressed the need for better coordination between federal and provincial authorities.
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