ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (APP): Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan informed the Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Friday that the National Highway Authority (NHA) has recorded a 63 percent increase in revenue, attributing the growth to wide-ranging reforms and improved management practices.
Briefing the committee on ongoing and planned development works, the minister highlighted progress on motorways, highways, service areas, and other road infrastructure projects. He said major motorway and highway schemes are currently being executed across the country to strengthen connectivity and support economic activity.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Pervaiz Rashid, was held in Islamabad, where the minister presented a comprehensive overview of the NHA’s performance and future plans.
The minister told the committee that when he assumed office in 2024, NHA’s revenue stood at Rs66.8 billion, a figure that had remained stagnant for the previous six years. He said that since 2024, NHA has generated Rs108.9 billion, reflecting a 63 percent increase in revenue. He expressed confidence that by the time he leaves office, NHA’s revenue will be raised to between Rs400 and Rs500 billion, and that in the next fiscal year the authority will generate more income than allocations received under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Abdul Aleem Khan said the increase in revenue was made possible through reforms including M-Tag implementation, axle load control and transparent toll plaza management. Responding to criticism that NHA was being run like a housing society, he said he had no regrets as these measures had brought billions of rupees in benefit to the national exchequer.
The minister further informed the committee that NHA plans to launch an air ambulance service by 2026. He said the helicopter-based service would ensure rapid emergency response on highways and motorways, enabling accident victims to be transported quickly to nearby hospitals
He said proper service areas with washrooms and basic facilities are being developed at intervals of 20 to 25 kilometers on motorways, and that all these initiatives will be financed through NHA’s own revenue without seeking grants from the government or any other institution.
He said work has already started on the Mansehra–Kaghan Highway, while the PC-I of the Sukkur–Hyderabad Motorway has been approved and the project will be executed in five different sections. He added that the Hyderabad–Karachi Motorway is being linked with Karachi Port to help reduce accidents and improve traffic management, and that funds for the project are already available.
Aleem Khan said the Sukkur–Hyderabad and Hyderabad–Karachi motorways have been accorded top priority on the directives of Prime Minister owing to their strategic significance.
Highlighting efforts to promote tourism, Abdul Aleem Khan said discussions are underway with the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to transfer various mountainous roads to NHA so that quality infrastructure can be developed to facilitate tourists.
He also announced that the Sialkot–Rawalpindi project will be upgraded from a four-lane to a six-lane motorway.
The minister said the new alignment will reduce the Lahore–Islamabad distance by about 100 kilometers, cutting travel time from three-and-a-half hours to nearly two-and-a-half hours. This, he added, will lead to significant savings in fuel consumption, reduced environmental impact and improved traffic flow.
Aleem Khan said the project will benefit major population centers including Gujranwala, Kharian, Gujar Khan and Jhelum, and will serve as a vital economic
He said the PC-I of the Sukkur–Hyderabad Motorway has been approved, while the 69-kilometer Sialkot–Kharian Motorway has been forwarded by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) to ECNEC for approval. He added that land acquisition, mines and mineral issues related to the 153-kilometer Chitral–Shandur Highway have been resolved.
The committee was also informed that the Murree–Islamabad Expressway, Lyari Expressway and Thokar Niaz Baig to Lahore Ring Road have been upgraded. Feasibility studies of several major projects, including Kharian–Rawalpindi (117 km), Sialkot–Kharian (69 km), Sukkur–Hyderabad (306 km) and Hyderabad–Karachi (160 km), have been completed.
The minister said that the Lahore–Kharian–Rawalpindi motorway will reduce the distance by about 100 kilometers, resulting in fuel savings and smoother traffic flow. He added that new service areas have been established on the Murree Expressway, where no such facilities existed previously.
During the meeting, Senator Hidayatullah raised concerns regarding the Chakdara–Timergara Road and Shandur Road, particularly about heavy traffic and frequent accidents on the first section of the project. The minister assured the committee that the issue would be addressed.
The committee also discussed matters related to an on going project and Park View society. Minister explained that the project in question was already completed in the year 2021.
On the other hand, it is pertinent to mention that Park View Society is located approximately 7.5 kilometers away from the ongoing project—the starting point of the project—and around 10.5 kilometers away from the Lahore Ring Road. Therefore, no proximity-based linkage exists between the project’s alignment and the mentioned housing society.
Chairman of the committee Senator Pervaiz Rashid expressed satisfaction over the minister’s briefing, stating that the committee’s concerns regarding road projects had been adequately addressed. However, a heated exchange of words occurred between Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, following which, on the chairman’s request, the minister tendered an apology. The remaining agenda items were deferred to the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Senators Dost Ali Jeesar, Jam Saifullah Khan, Hidayatullah Khan, Bilal Ahmed Mandokhail and Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, along with the Federal Minister for Communications, Secretary Communications and other senior officials of the Ministry of Communications.