N-25 highway: Balochistan lawmakers oppose Rs100bn allocation

ISLAMABAD: Senators from Balochistan on Tuesday objected to the federal government’s decision to allocate Rs100 billion for the N-25 highway, arguing that other major road projects of public importance in the province had received meagre funding from the National Highway Authority (NHA) in the current financial year. During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications, chaired by Senator Pervaiz Rashid, NHA officials stated that the N-25 National Highway, also known as the Pakistan Expressway, is undergoing a major upgrade from a dangerous single-lane road into a modern four-lane dual carriageway connecting Karachi, Quetta and Chaman. They added that the prime minister is personally monitoring the project, which is why it received a significant allocation in the federal budget 2026-27. The committee also discussed an incident involving a couple whose video, allegedly showing immoral activity while travelling on a motorway, went viral. Inspector General of Motorway Police informed the committee that the incident occurred on July 16, when motorway police found a car parked on the roadside. An altercation took place after the vehicle attempted to leave the scene. He further stated that enforcing morality is not part of the Motorway Police’s standard operating procedures (SOPs). The officer involved in the incident has been suspended, and the inquiry will be completed soon. The panel was informed that the 298-kilometre Kuchlak-Zhob (N-50) project remains incomplete due to a shortage of funds. Senator Abdul Qadir highlighted disparities in budget allocations, noting that out of Rs116 billion earmarked for Balochistan, Rs100 billion had been allocated to the N-25 highway. Senator Abdul Wasay said the Kuchlak-Zhob project is equally important for the people of Balochistan, but since its approval in 2019-20, it has received only Rs11. 4 billion. Even in the current financial year, only Rs7 billion has been allocated despite the project’s total estimated cost of Rs63 billion. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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