ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (APP): Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Tuesday announced that construction work on the long-awaited Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) will officially commence in May this year, terming the project a top national priority.
Chairing a high-level meeting of the National Highway Authority (NHA), the minister directed officials to take immediate, decisive steps to ensure the project proceeds without further delays, said a press release.
Abdul Aleem Khan highlighted that both the Sukkur-Hyderabad and Karachi Motorways would be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure efficiency and sustainability and the work on all the sections may continue to simultaneously so that the whole project is completed in a timely manner.
The minister further said that the Sialkot-Kharian and Islamabad Motorway will now be constructed as a 6-lane Highway instead of the previously planned 4 lanes to better accommodate future traffic volumes. He underscored that the current administration is not merely building for today, but is developing Motorways to meet the rigorous infrastructure requirements of the next 30 years of the country.
Furthermore, the meeting focused on enhancing connectivity and regional utility. Strategic plans were discussed to link the Motorway network with Kartarpur and Nankana Sahab and other religious tourism centers to maximize economic impact.
To promote Sikh religious tourism on an international scale, Abdul Aleem Khan announced that the Communications Ministry will conduct dedicated “Roadshows” in Canada, United States and Europe.
The session concluded with a briefing from the Chairman of NHA and senior officials regarding the feasibility of the Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway and modernizing “Right of Way” advertising policies and other related issues.