NA panel flags M-6 delays, seeks NHA briefing on project timeline

The National Assembly's standing committee on planning has voiced concern over delays to the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), according to Mettis Global. Members want the National Highway Authority and the responsible minister to explain the schedule in more detail. The committee was told that recent litigation has slowed progress, and groundbreaking is expected to begin on the Sukkur side first.

Panel members heard that the motorway has five sections and that approvals for the Hyderabad stretch under a public-private partnership model are still awaited. The committee will call the NHA chairman and the minister to a further meeting for a fuller briefing. It also reviewed N-5 highway works in Sindh, where the Hala-Moro section has yet to start and land procurement is still underway for the Ranipur-Sukkur stretch.

In Karachi, the panel questioned the basis for higher Lyari Expressway tolls, and members raised concerns about their effect on daily commuters and road safety. It also heard that about 64 acres of land for the TP-5 treatment plant are covered by Sindh government sanads, and a high-level meeting with the province has been proposed. Members also sought details on the ML-1 financing, which is expected from the ADB.