- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Jan 28 (APP):Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Wednesday directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to accelerate work on key road projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), stressing that timely completion, transparency and quality construction would be ensured at all costs.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting on NHA projects here, the minister was informed that major infrastructure projects in KP had been completed and were now awaiting formal inauguration by the Prime Minister. These include the Kohat–Jhand–Pindi Gheb Road and the Old Bannu Road Highway, which are expected to significantly enhance regional connectivity and facilitate economic activity, said a press release.
Addressing the timeline for ongoing works, Abdul Aleem Khan was informed that the Indus Highway (N-55) Kohat Section and the Peshawar Northern Bypass are on track to be completed by June 2026. Furthermore, the development of the N-140 Highway, connecting Chitral to Shandur and Shandur to Gilgit is expected to be finalized by December 2026.
The minister issued categorical instructions to further accelerate the pace of work on the N-55 Kohat Section and announced his decision to personally visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa soon to inspect the progress on-site.
In a move to ensure unprecedented transparency and financial discipline, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan mandated that all payments related to road maintenance shall strictly be disbursed only after a personal site visit and verification by the Chairman NHA. He directed the officials to refrain from unnecessary payments in the name of maintenance.
The minister emphasized that delays in completion lead to cost escalations and reiterated that no compromise would be made on the quality of construction.
Finally, Abdul Aleem Khan directed the NHA to proactively engage with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government to take up and resolve all pending matters. He also stressed that a better strategy must be formulated for Foreign-Funded Projects and that all developmental issues must receive formal approval from the Members of the NHA Board. Chairman NHA was further directed to provide an immediate list of projects requiring urgent cash flow to prevent any further technical or administrative hurdles.
Federal Secretary Communications and Chairman NHA briefed the meeting regarding completed and ongoing projects of NHA in KPK.