Islamabad: The federal government has approved the construction of three key sections of the Balochistan Expressway (N-25), covering a total of 692 kilometers, at an estimated cost of PKR 415 billion. The project will be financed through an PKR 8 per litre levy on petrol and high-speed diesel, introduced earlier this year.
The proposal will now be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. Once completed in a minimum of three years, the dual carriageway will link Quetta to Karachi, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic development.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, reviewed the proposal in a recent meeting. The forum also discussed concerns regarding road alignment and land acquisition for the project.
Under current rules, the CDWP can approve projects up to PKR 7.5 billion, while larger projects must be forwarded to ECNEC, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
In addition to the expressway, the CDWP recommended the dualization of the Karachi–Quetta–Chaman route. This 278-kilometre stretch carries an estimated cost of PKR 183.4 billion. Although PKR 33 billion has been allocated for the current fiscal year, officials warned that annual allocations of at least PKR 75 billion will be needed to maintain construction momentum.
The CDWP also cleared the PKR 99 billion dualization of the 332-kilometre Khuzdar–Kuchlak section of the N-25. With 52% of the work already completed, the remaining portion is expected to be finished within two years, backed by a PKR 34 billion allocation this year.
Another segment, the 104-kilometre Karoro Wadh–Khuzdar–Chaman road, is set to be dualized at a cost of PKR 133 billion. While PKR 33 billion has been earmarked for the current year, an additional PKR 50 billion per year will be required over the next two years to complete it on schedule.
To fund these large-scale infrastructure projects, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier introduced the PKR 8 per litre levy on petroleum products. While the decision drew public criticism for adding to the financial burden on consumers, the Prime Minister defended it as a strategic move to improve connectivity and road safety in Balochistan.
The CDWP emphasized that concerns around revised costs, road alignment, and land acquisition must be resolved before ECNEC grants final approval. For the current fiscal year, the federal government has allocated PKR 1 trillion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), with PKR 210 billion designated for various projects in Balochistan.
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