Aleem Khan Orders NHA Push as Highway Project Delays Deepen
Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has criticised the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments over delays in key highway schemes, warning that stalled provincial commitments are slowing progress on major national road projects. The issue surfaced on Friday during a National Highway Authority review meeting in Islamabad, where the minister directed officials to accelerate work on pending infrastructure corridors.
The meeting focused on several important highway and motorway schemes that remain incomplete because of funding, administrative and coordination gaps. Aleem Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work and indicated that the federal road authority would no longer wait indefinitely for provincial contributions where project timelines were being affected.
One of the most important projects discussed was the Peshawar Northern Bypass, which has remained delayed for years despite repeated attempts to revive it. The minister said the NHA had waited for months for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to provide its share of funding, but if the money was not released, the authority would move ahead independently to complete the project.
Aleem Khan also pointed to the Rawalpindi-Kahuta road project, saying the Punjab government had not provided its promised share for the scheme. He directed the NHA to take responsibility for completing unfinished transit corridors and made it clear that prolonged delays would not be accepted in projects considered important for public mobility and economic connectivity.
Alongside criticism of provincial delays, the minister issued fresh instructions for expanding Pakistan’s motorway network. He ordered that the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway be widened from four to six lanes and that the Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi motorway sections should also be developed as six-lane routes to handle growing traffic pressure.
The instructions also covered technical standards and deadlines. Aleem Khan directed that feasibility studies for all NHA projects should be accurate and professionally prepared, while the final stages of ongoing work, particularly bridge construction on the Peshawar Northern Bypass, should be completed before the July monsoon season to avoid further disruption.
The Peshawar Northern Bypass has long been viewed as an important part of the wider plan to complete the ring road network around the provincial capital. Its delay has affected traffic management, commuter convenience and freight movement, especially as Peshawar continues to face urban congestion and pressure from intercity transport routes.
The controversy also reflects a broader governance problem in Pakistan’s infrastructure sector, where federal and provincial responsibilities often overlap. When funding commitments are delayed or coordination breaks down, road projects can face cost increases, public frustration and missed economic opportunities in regions that depend on reliable transport links.
For citizens and businesses, the outcome of the NHA review will matter beyond political blame. Faster completion of highway corridors can reduce travel time, support trade, improve road safety and strengthen links between major cities, industrial zones and rural markets.
The next step will depend on how quickly the NHA converts the minister’s instructions into construction progress and whether the concerned provincial governments respond with funding or formal coordination. If the federal authority proceeds alone on delayed schemes, the decision could reshape how major road projects are managed when provincial support is slow or uncertain.