Efforts on to restore badly-damaged M-5 section near Jalalpur Pirwala

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Communications, in coordination with the Punjab Irrigation Department, has accelerated efforts to restore Motorway M-5, which is badly damaged near Jalalpur Pirwala due to torrential rainfall and floods.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has issued instructions that the damaged section of Motorway M-5 near Jalalpur Pirwala should be restored at the earliest, and the National Highway Authority (NHA) should ensure its timely rehabilitation. He added that as soon as the repair works of the Punjab Irrigation Department are completed, restoration of the Motorway must immediately begin and would be made operational within 15 to 20 days.

He further noted that continuous liaison is being maintained with the Punjab Government to ensure swift and critical decision-making.

On this occasion, Punjab Minister for Irrigation Kazim Ali Pirzada informed the minister and the NHA chairman that all breaches on the Motorway would be filled by the evening of October 4, after which a team of experts would carry out a technical review on October 6.

He added that out of the seven breaches at Noor Raja Bund on the River Sutlej, three have already been successfully repaired, while work on the remaining breaches is progressing rapidly. He informed that the Irrigation Department is using all its resources and working around the clock to make sure that water levels in the area go down, and as a result, water levels have been receding significantly in the last few days.

Abdul Aleem Khan further stated that officers from different regions of NHA have been mobilized to expedite the restoration work, which will continue around the clock until full completion. He emphasized that the Secretary of the Communications Division and Chairman of the NHA must consistently ensure their presence on-site to oversee the operations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025