NA Panel Demands Accountability Over Road Decay and Highway Delays

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications has demanded greater accountability from the authorities responsible for Pakistan's road network after reviewing deteriorating highways, delayed projects, maintenance standards and toll collection practices. The committee met at Parliament House in Islamabad on Wednesday under the chairmanship of MNA Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, with officials from the Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority among those participating.

Lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry's explanation for roads deteriorating soon after completion. The issue was raised through a parliamentary question by MNA Syed Rafiullah, with officials attributing poor road conditions partly to extreme weather and insufficient maintenance funding. Committee members said the response lacked the detail required to address concerns about construction quality and planning and directed the ministry to return with a more specific and comprehensive explanation.

The committee noted that the matter had remained unresolved for nearly eight months and told ministry representatives to be fully prepared when it comes before lawmakers again. The scrutiny reflects concern over the public cost of road projects that require repairs or maintenance sooner than expected and the impact of weak infrastructure on motorists, freight movement and regional connectivity.

Particular attention was given to the condition of the Sukkur-Shikarpur highway after MNA Muhammad Shaharyar Khan Mahar raised concerns about repeated accidents and the state of the road. National Highway Authority officials initially said periodic maintenance had been completed, but the NHA chief executive acknowledged a gap between that account and conditions on the ground. He told the committee that an inspection and inquiry process had been initiated and that the official concerned would be suspended.

The NHA chief also assured lawmakers that the inquiry findings would be submitted to the committee and that an outstanding payment to the contractor would not be released in the meantime. The committee allowed the ministry to provide a fresh response at its next meeting, keeping the matter open as lawmakers seek to establish responsibility for maintenance failures and the condition of the highway.

Progress on major motorway projects was also reviewed. On the Ratodero-Gwadar Motorway, or M-8, the ministry said a hydrological study would be carried out to determine the most suitable design for the section connecting Sindh and Balochistan. Officials said the study would be presented at the next committee meeting and gave an assurance that the relevant work would be completed by November 2026. The committee closed that matter after receiving the undertaking.

Lawmakers separately examined the delayed Karachi Port-Qayyumabad Road project, although discussion was deferred so the agenda could be redrafted. A subcommittee report also raised concerns over National Highway Authority schemes under the 2026-27 Public Sector Development Programme, toll plazas operating on roads still under construction and the award of toll plazas in Sindh to a single contractor. The standing committee decided to take up the subcommittee's terms of reference directly at its next meeting and sought further engagement with the NHA leadership on toll collection where adequate facilities are not available to commuters.

The committee was also informed that construction of the Sukkur-Hyderabad M-6 Motorway is expected to begin by the end of October 2026. Members plan to visit the project area and attend its groundbreaking ceremony. Other projects reviewed included the New Baran Bridge, Dera Murad Jamali Bypass, Bhong Interchange, the Pindi-Batya-Sahianwala Road and the M-10 project. The next phase of parliamentary scrutiny will focus on promised ministry responses, the NHA inquiry into road conditions and progress on major highway schemes whose delays and maintenance problems directly affect travel, commerce and connectivity across Pakistan.