Lahore: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has announced a major expansion of the Lahore–Sialkot Motorway, which will now be extended to connect Kharian with Islamabad. The move is expected to significantly reduce traffic pressure on the heavily used Lahore–Islamabad Motorway (M-2), cutting travel distance between the two cities by approximately 100 kilometres.
The announcement was made during a high-level meeting at the National Highway Authority (NHA) Punjab Region Office. The proposed extension is aimed at providing commuters with a faster and more efficient travel route while improving connectivity across several major districts including Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kharian, Jhelum, and Gujar Khan.
According to officials, the new link will not only save travel time—up to one hour—but also enhance regional trade, logistics, and mobility, particularly for residents and businesses in central and northern Punjab.
The upgraded route will include the widening of the current Lahore–Sialkot Motorway from four to six lanes, ensuring smoother traffic flow and better capacity to accommodate growing vehicular movement. Abdul Aleem Khan directed the NHA to ensure timely completion of all related infrastructure with high construction standards, warning against any delays or substandard work.
The minister also called for a long-term, 30-year infrastructure roadmap to future-proof Pakistan’s highway and motorway network in response to increasing demand and economic needs.
The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary for Communications, Chairman of the NHA, CEO of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), and other senior officials who briefed the minister on progress across several ongoing projects in Punjab.
In a related update, urgent directives were issued for the speedy completion of development work along the Multan Road to Ring Road corridor in Lahore. Officials say the Kharian–Islamabad motorway extension, once completed, will offer a strategically valuable alternative route that diverts traffic from the congested M-2 and unlocks new economic potential for the region.
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