Islamabad: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications that the land acquisition process for the M-6 Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway is expected to commence within the next month.
NHA Chairman Sheharyar Sikandar shared the update during a committee meeting held under the chairmanship of MNA Ijaz Jakhrani. He stated that the NHA has sought advance procurement approval from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which is financing the project. The Sindh government will be formally approached to initiate land acquisition once approvals are in place.
The M-6 project—part of the larger Karachi–Peshawar Motorway (KPM)—is slated to begin construction in April 2026, according to the current timeline shared by the NHA. The update comes amid previous confusion regarding the project’s start date, following differing statements from various government officials.
While Communications Minister Aleem Khan had earlier suggested a 2025 launch, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal later stated the project would begin “next year,” without specifying a date. The NHA’s clarification helps provide a more definite timeline.
In the same session, the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the Communications Ministry Secretary, warning that continued non-attendance would be reported to the House and the Privilege Committee.
Separately, the committee was briefed by the Inspector General of Motorway Police on legal measures taken against overspeeding. Motorists exceeding 150 km/h on the motorways are subject to legal action under the current framework.
The committee also raised concerns over the bidding process for the PKR 170 billion Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Tranche-III corridor project. Lawmakers questioned why all four contracts had been awarded to a joint venture involving the Chinese firm Ningxia Communication Construction (NXCC)—a company previously disqualified in 2023 for failing to complete a project.
To follow up on the issue, the committee decided to write to the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division to request findings from its sub-committee’s investigation into the matter.
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