KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Communications Aleem Khan met with their teams to discuss several issues.
As per the report provided by private newspaper, they talked about building the M-6 Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway, allowing heavy traffic on the Lyari Expressway, finding solutions for traffic issues at Sohrab Goth, finishing the Jamshoro-Sehwan road, and planning a new motorway called M-10 to connect port traffic directly to Hyderabad.
As per the details, Shah said completing the M-6 is important to link the motorway network from Karachi to Peshawar and Lahore. He explained that without connecting Karachi Port to the rest of the country through a motorway, the network’s purpose is not fully achieved.
He noted delays in the M-6 project, even though it was approved under the prime minister’s instructions. Khan agreed that the motorway needs to connect to Karachi Port. He said the M-6 project is divided into five sections, with funding secured for three sections and work ongoing for the others.
Khan mentioned that the federal government, commercial banks, and public-private partnerships are funding the project. Shah expressed concern about possible delays due to the public-private partnership model.
He offered Rs40-50 billion from the Sindh government to speed up the project. Shah stressed the need to start work on M-6 immediately. Khan assured him that work would begin in September. They agreed to have their teams review whether bridge financing is needed to move the project faster.
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Shah pointed out that the 66km Jamshoro-Sehwan road, an industrial highway, remains incomplete despite the Sindh government paying Rs7 billion to the National Highway Authority (NHA) in 2017.
Khan said the 66km section from Sehwan to Manjhad is finished, and work on the 24km section from Manjhad to Khanot has started. He jokingly mentioned bringing photos of the ongoing work. Shah said he trusted him and asked for the project to be completed soon. Khan confirmed that work is already underway.
Shah explained that the Lyari Expressway was meant to connect port traffic to the motorway, but the NHA has limited it to light traffic. NHA representatives said a third-party audit found the expressway unsuitable for heavy traffic but suggested allowing heavy traffic during off-peak hours. Following Shah’s suggestion, the NHA agreed to improve the expressway’s interchanges.
Shah highlighted traffic problems at Sohrab Goth, where local and port traffic from the Lyari Expressway meet. He suggested building a separate service road to keep city traffic apart from expressway traffic. The meeting decided to find an engineering solution to reduce traffic congestion at Sohrab Goth.
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They also discussed the proposed M-10 motorway, which will connect the ICI Bridge, Karachi Port, Gulbai, and Hub Chowki directly to Hyderabad. They agreed to plan the M-10 fully to ensure it is built. This motorway will help move heavy and port traffic to Hyderabad, reducing congestion in Karachi.
Aleem Khan’s Media Talk
Later, in a media talk in Karachi, Khan announced that the M-6 and M-10 motorways will be started at the same time. He said the M-6 is important for Pakistan but was overlooked by past governments. He emphasized that the motorway needs to connect to the seaport to be fully useful, and both M-6 and M-10 will link to Karachi Port.
Khan shared that the M-6 project, costing nearly Rs400 billion, has five sections, each about 60 kilometers long. He described it as a good investment opportunity. Funding is secured for two sections, and talks for the other three are ongoing. He said a feasibility report would be finalized and presented to the prime minister within 15 days.
Khan added that the motorways from Karachi to Hyderabad and Hyderabad to Sukkur will be completed as soon as possible. Work on the N-25 Highway from Karachi to Quetta is also planned to start later this year. He said Karachi’s challenges are national issues and will be addressed with priority.
