ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal directed concerned stakeholders to complete the Karachi-Chaman National Highway (N-25) into a high-standard expressway project by August 2027 and exert all their efforts in making it a landmark development milestone for the country.
Calling for immediate completion of required formalities, the planning minister has directed the National Highways Authority (NHA) that the groundbreaking ceremony be scheduled for August 14, 2025.
Iqbal, Monday, chaired a meeting with Ministry of Communications, NHA and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) officials to review the progress of the N-25 project.
During the meeting, the NHA officials briefed the minister on the project's status, highlighting that the dualisation of the Hub Bypass had been added to the revised PC-1 project, following the Minister for Communications’ recommendation on June 20th. The revised PC-1 is expected to be submitted by July 2nd, they stated.
Calling the N-25 a critical route for transportation between Sindh and Balochistan and a potential gateway for Central Asia, Minister Iqbal reaffirmed its potential to uplift the socioeconomic development of Balochistan.
Earlier, in line with the minister's directives, NHA had invited bids from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) on June 17th, with bid opening scheduled on July 2nd. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) provided an update on the project's progress, stating that work is being carried out in four sections. Notably, 68 per cent of the work on the 51km stretch from Jiwa to Surab has already been completed.
Calling for immediate completion of required formalities, the planning minister directed the NHA that the groundbreaking ceremony be scheduled for August 14, 2025. He also reviewed plans for construction of service areas along the expressway and emphasised the need for well-designed facilities catering to the needs of truckers. “Well-equipped service areas should be constructed on both sides of the expressway, providing rest areas, fuel pumps, restaurants, vehicle workshops, and other essential amenities,” he stressed.
The minister further directed that input be taken from representatives of truck companies to determine ideal locations for these service areas. Among the mini service areas to be constructed along the expressway, some of them should be larger, offering comprehensive services to truckers, stated the minister.
Expressing concern over security, the minister stated that 42 FWO workers lost their lives during the construction of N-85. He emphasised the need for strict security measures and conveyed this to the Balochistan government, stressing that Gwadar city and N-85 must be secured under all circumstances.
The minister also advised that a dedicated security force be established for N-25, with security deployment aligned with the work schedule.
Furthermore, the planning minister emphasised the importance of considering potential future expansion of expressway lanes due to increased regional connectivity. “Considering flow of traffic in the next few decades, the development of this expressway must be executed in a way that it's easier to expand it into six lanes, whenever needed in future,” stated the minister.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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