Sukkur-Hyderabad M-6 construction set to start next month

Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said construction of the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway will begin next month as the government advances a broader programme of highway expansion and financial reform. He outlined the plans while addressing business leaders at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Khan said the National Highway Authority was working to increase its annual revenue from Rs66 billion to Rs160 billion through stronger financial management and improved revenue collection. Administrative expenditure has been capped at Rs50 billion, with additional resources intended for road construction and other development priorities.

According to the minister, the authority is prioritising 66 major infrastructure projects requiring combined investment of approximately Rs3 trillion. He also said 70% of its revenue was being reinvested in Balochistan, where improvements to the N-25 highway remain among the principal development priorities.

The planned M-6 motorway is intended to connect Sukkur with Hyderabad and close the remaining gap in Pakistan’s north-south motorway network. Government project information describes it as a 306-kilometre, six-lane, access-controlled road being developed through a public-private partnership, with the completed route expected to improve motorway access between Karachi and northern Pakistan.

The official communication accompanying the minister’s address referred to the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway in its heading but described the wider Sukkur-Karachi motorway corridor in the body. It said three sections had been approved and linked the development with improved access to Karachi Port. A detailed construction schedule will be needed to clarify which packages will be mobilised first.

Khan also discussed several other road projects. He said expansion of the Faisalabad Motorway was progressing without drawing funding from the federal budget, while the Sambrial-Kharian Motorway could shorten the road distance between Lahore and Rawalpindi by about 100 kilometres and reduce travel time by more than an hour. The Lodhran Expressway is also expected to be completed using the authority’s resources.

Further proposals include extending the Murree Expressway towards Azad Kashmir and exploring motorway connections beyond Kaghan and Naran. The minister said these links could support tourism and provide improved trade access towards neighbouring regions. He directed highway and motorway-police officials to hold regular meetings with business representatives about transport-related operational concerns.

For businesses, the M-6 is particularly important because it would strengthen freight movement between Karachi’s ports, Sindh’s commercial centres and the existing motorway network leading north. The next test will be whether the announced start is followed by visible mobilisation, confirmed financing and a clear package-by-package timetable for construction.