Islamabad:
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Financial Affairs was informed on Thursday that the feasibility study for the M-10 Hyderabad-Karachi motorway is in its last stages and is expected to be completed in December.
The panel under the house was led by MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig.
The officials told the committee that the project would cost over RS68 billion and was seen as a long -term solution to Karachi’s traffic jams. Work is also underway with the technical feasibility of Lyari Expressway, while the purchase of the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway project has already begun, with the construction expected to begin in June next year. During the briefing, the National Highway Authority (NHA) officials said that any project could only be included in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) through the federal budget, adding that the budget making process would begin in March.
The committee sought a response from NHA officials on its recommendation to include Lyari -Attorney Shipping Corridor (LEFC) in PSDP.
NHA informed the committee that funding for the LEFC project was already secured by another institution through the Korean Exim Bank, while Karachi Port Trust (KPT) also worked on the same project. “When the project was found possible, we moved our focus towards the northern bypass,” said the NHA officials.
Committee chairman Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said they would take the question of the LEFC project with KPT and report back. He noted that the acquisition of land for Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway remained a complicated question as provincial governments were also involved. He said the committee would add a separate note about the matter.
Separately, the committee was informed that repair works at Mirpurkhas Age Kot Road had ended, while approval of the Ranipur-Sterkot Road project had also been awarded. A committee member asked about the timeline of his commencement.
