Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has issued a strict directive to National Highway Authority (NHA) officers, urging them to expedite all ongoing infrastructure projects and ensure their timely completion. Stressing that no further leniency will be granted, he termed this as the final warning and warned of strict disciplinary action against negligence, inefficiency, or unjustified delays.
During a high-level meeting at the NHA Headquarters, the minister emphasized the urgent need to complete construction, repair, and expansion works on highways and motorways. He directed the completion of the main highway linking Gwadar Port by March 2026 and called for accelerated work on the Hoshab-Awaran-Nall Highway in Balochistan. In Karachi, he instructed the early completion of the Lyari Expressway, with a focus on construction quality, green spaces, and plantation drives. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he demanded faster progress on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Expressway. He also ordered the immediate launch of operations to remove encroachments along highways and asked for a detailed implementation report. The minister emphasized that major NHA projects will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister and must be fully completed.
Referring to his recent inspection visits, Abdul Aleem Khan directed the development of modern rest areas along the Islamabad-Murree Expressway, complete with family-friendly washrooms and refreshment facilities to accommodate tourists. He further instructed NHA to conduct a nationwide survey of roadside spaces and reallocate them under new contracts tailored to local needs.
The minister was also briefed on NHA’s revenue streams and other operational matters during the meeting. He ordered that all infrastructure projects, including toll plazas, be awarded through open bidding to ensure transparency and public participation. Additionally, he directed the launch of a public awareness campaign to support and promote this initiative.
Senior officials, including the Federal Secretary for Communications and the CEO of NHA, attended the meeting along with regional officers from Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar, who provided updates on the progress of projects in their respective zones via video link.
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