Islamabad, July 17, 2025: The National Highways Authority (NHA) is set to receive Rs100 billion from the petroleum development levy to support three major road projects in Balochistan. However, this amount is still less than the Rs. 160 billion it had asked for in the current financial year.
As per NHA documents, the authority had requested Rs. 160.2 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), but the federal government only approved Rs. 100 billion.
Among the major projects, Rs. 34 billion has been given for the expansion of the 330.52 km Khuzdar-Kuchlak part of the N-25 highway, while Rs. 50.8 billion was needed. For upgrading and rebuilding the 273 km Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Road (N-25), the government has allotted Rs. 33 billion, though the NHA had asked for Rs. 52.5 billion.
In the same way, Rs. 33 billion has been set aside for the widening of the 187 km Kararo-Wadh and Kuchlak-Chaman routes, although the demand was Rs. 56.9 billion.
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Right now, the NHA is handling road and highway projects worth Rs. 2,200 billion. In the PSDP for FY26, it submitted 161 project proposals, but only 105 were approved, with a total fund of Rs. 227 billion. Due to budget limitations, the NHA collected Rs. 64.8 billion in FY25 from tolls and other ways, which is double the Rs32 billion collected in FY24.
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In April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that savings from the drop in oil prices would be used to rebuild the N-25 highway and complete Phase II of the Kachhi Canal in Balochistan. The aim is to fix the well-known “dangerous road” linking Karachi to Chaman. The Rs. 300 billion project was given a green signal in FY22-23, but work slowed down due to a lack of funds.
