Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to upgrade the Karachi-Chaman National Highway (N-25) into a high-standard expressway, aligning its quality with that of Pakistan’s existing motorways,as reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan.
The directive was issued during a high-level review meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House, where the premier assessed the progress on the 790-kilometer-long highway project. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the initiative as essential to Balochistan’s socio-economic uplift.
Calling the project a “strategic lifeline,” the prime minister emphasized that it goes beyond infrastructure and plays a critical role in regional prosperity. He also revealed that the government had chosen to divert the financial benefits from recent petroleum price reductions to fund the expressway upgrade—a decision unanimously supported by all provinces to demonstrate national solidarity.
Shehbaz Sharif noted that upon completion, the expressway would reduce the travel time between Karachi and Chaman from approximately 18 hours to 6–8 hours, enhancing trade, transport, and commuter convenience along the corridor.
The project will include the construction of bypasses around major urban centers to ease local traffic, and will be built as a four-lane, dual carriageway. Strict timelines have been set to ensure completion within two years, with the prime minister stressing adherence to top construction standards and the inclusion of environmental safeguards. He also ordered third-party validation after completion to ensure quality compliance.
Officials at the meeting briefed the prime minister that funding shortages, which had previously stalled progress, have now been resolved. Construction is already underway on the Khuzdar-Mastung segment, while planning is ongoing for five additional sections from Karachi to Khuzdar.
To support timely land acquisition, the prime minister instructed the Chief Minister of Balochistan to coordinate closely with relevant departments.
Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed gratitude for the federal government’s focus on Balochistan. The session was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, and other senior officials, while Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and CM Bugti joined via video link.
