Islamabad: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has approved the construction of a 172-kilometre motorway that will connect Mansehra in Hazara with Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan via Kaghan, Naran and Jhal Khand, according to an official statement.
The approval was granted during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan. The project, named the Mansehra-Naran-Jhal Khand-Chilas (MNJC) Motorway, is aimed at improving regional connectivity and providing an alternative route to the existing Karakoram Highway (KKH).
According to officials, the new motorway is expected to reduce travel distance on the current route by up to 120 kilometres, significantly improving mobility between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The project will be executed in two phases. The first phase will cover the stretch from Mansehra through Kaghan and Naran up to Babusar Top, while the second phase will extend the route from Babusar Top to Chilas.
A major feature of the proposed motorway is the construction of a 13.5-kilometre Babusar Tunnel, which is expected to become the longest tunnel in Pakistan upon completion. The motorway has also been designed as a four-lane corridor, with provisions for future expansion to six lanes.
To support long-distance travel and logistics, the plan includes modern rest areas at intervals of 25 to 30 kilometres along the route. Dedicated trucking terminals for freight movement will also be developed on both sides of the motorway.
During the meeting, the communications minister said the project would serve as a strategic corridor linking Western China with Pakistan’s southern ports, including Karachi and Gwadar. He added that the route would offer an alternative trade pathway to existing networks and help reduce transportation time and costs for cargo moving between the Arabian Sea and western regions of China.
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