- Aleem Khan welcomes landmark strategic agreement.
- Construction will begin in May under the PPP model.
- M6 called the missing link of the north-south corridor.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a landmark agreement for the construction of two sections of the M6 motorway.
In a speech on X, Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan welcomed the signing of a strategic agreement between ADB and NHA on the construction of the M6 highway connecting Karachi to Sukkur.
In February, Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan announced that construction of the M6 motorway would officially begin in May under a public-private partnership model.
The minister termed the project as an important gateway to Pakistan’s future development and a decisive step towards economic prosperity.
“A project that remained stalled for over 30 years achieved this breakthrough in just two years of dedicated effort,” he said.
Aleem Khan stressed that the M6 motorway represents the “missing economic link” in the country’s North-South corridor, making its completion an absolute necessity for sustainable national growth.
He noted that this highway was among the most critical infrastructure assets in Pakistan, designed to serve as the backbone of the country’s future trade and logistics.
The completion of this missing link would revolutionize Pakistan’s transport network by allowing traffic from Karachi Port to travel seamlessly to Peshawar and Gilgit via a continuous highway system, he added.
While giving details of the project, the federal minister said that a 306 kilometer long, six-lane project would be equipped with modern tolling and security systems, with 15 interchanges and 10 state-of-the-art service areas to facilitate both travelers and commercial transporters.
He further said that the project structure included two key sections from Hyderabad to Nawabshah which would be developed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure transparency and attract private investment.
“The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the OPEC Fund have already approved financing for three other sections,” he said, adding that the entire M6 project is scheduled to be completed within the next two years.
He concluded by stating that it is a national priority to connect Karachi’s ports with the northern regions which would unlock new investment opportunities and strengthen regional trade connectivity in Pakistan.
— with additional input from APP
