Islamabad, June 4, 2025: As the federal budget 2025–26 is nearing, the government is planning to set aside more than Rs. 300 billion for key road and highway development under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), sources informed.
A large portion of this funding is directed towards the expansion and restoration of essential national routes. The highest proposed funding of Rs. 40 billion will go to the Karachi-Quetta-Chaman highway (N-25), particularly the Karachi-Kararo and Wadh-Khuzdar sections. An equal amount has also been suggested for the Khuzdar-Kuchlak portion of the same highway.
The Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway, a 306-kilometre six-lane road, is another major project on the list, with an allocation of Rs. 30 billion, making it one of the largest individual investments in this year’s PSDP.
Other proposed allocations include:
- Rs. 10 billion for the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway,
- Rs. 7.5 billion for the Lahore Ring Road to Kasur Interchange,
- Rs. 7 billion for the Hoshab-Awaran-Khuzdar segment of M-8,
- Rs. 4.5 billion for the dualization of the Kuchlak-Zhob road (N-50).
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Funds have also been proposed for improving interchanges and better connectivity. This includes Rs. 2 billion for land procurement on the Karachi–Lahore Motorway and Rs. 1.34 billion for land acquisition linked to the Kuchlak–Zhob dualization. Several smaller infrastructure schemes have also been included, with allocations ranging from Rs. 100 million to Rs. 800 million in districts like Gujrat, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Kasur, and Chakwal.
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Additionally, Rs. 2.5 billion is planned for upgrading roads in Karachi’s SITE area, Rs. 4 billion for the Sindh Coastal Highway, Rs. 16 billion for road development at the constituency level (NA schemes), and more than Rs. 14 billion for road projects in Punjab through Pak-PWD and DDWP-sponsored packages.
Many of these schemes align with regional connectivity initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program.
