Sindh raises concerns over Rs436bn Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway

Sindh has raised concerns over the federal government’s decision to fund the Rs436 billion Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalnagar motorway while overlooking the much-needed Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway, which remains delayed due to a lack of funding.

The federal government’s decision to allocate funding for the Punjab-centric motorway was challenged during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal. 

Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Saeed Ghani objected to the prioritisation of the Lahore motorway, arguing that the Sukkur-Hyderabad link, which is part of the critical South-North road network, should take precedence. 

Ghani pointed out that the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway is vital for the region’s connectivity, and its cost—estimated at Rs400 billion for its 306 km length—is comparable to the Punjab project.

Saeed Ghani expressed dissatisfaction that despite the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway being a top priority for Sindh, it has been delayed due to insufficient federal funding. 

He pointed out that the federal government’s strategy, which involves financing the Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalnagar motorway with 100% federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) funds, goes against the spirit of the National Fiscal Pact. The pact mandates a devolution of infrastructure projects to the provinces, a stipulation that has not been adhered to in this case.

During the discussions, NHA Chairman Sheheryar Sultan confirmed that the government was negotiating with creditors for the financing of the Sukkur-Hyderabad project. However, Ghani emphasised that the repeated delays were causing setbacks in connectivity, especially in remote areas.

While the government had requested Ecnec’s approval for initiating the Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway project, which includes two sections totaling 295 km, the federal minister emphasised that only the first phase—an 18.5 km stretch—would be executed under the current PSDP plan, with subsequent phases requiring further approvals and financing discussions with Punjab.