Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has mandated a third-party audit for all ongoing projects managed by the National Highway Authority (NHA). This directive was issued during a meeting focused on NHA-related matters in the capital on Monday.

According to Radio Pakistan, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the need for a strategy to develop national highways, motorways, and expressways through public-private partnerships. He highlighted the importance of enhancing transportation infrastructure for the country’s development and prosperity, aiming to connect remote regions, improve travel facilities, and create business and employment opportunities.

The meeting revealed that NHA’s revenue increased from 109 billion rupees to 130 billion rupees in the last fiscal year, with projections to reach 160 billion rupees in the current fiscal year. The NHA is reportedly funding several projects from its revenues, including the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway (M-12), Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway (M-13), and the Peshawar Northern Bypass, among others.

Additionally, the meeting discussed progress on the Pakistan Expressway (N-25) and announced that sixteen projects are nearing completion. These include upgrades and remodeling of various road sections, construction of interchanges, and dualisation of highways.

The meeting also noted upcoming projects, such as the foundation stones for the Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway (M-13) and the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), among others, will soon be laid. It was mentioned that the Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorways are being developed under public-private partnerships.

Further, a proposed Guru Nanak Expressway aims to connect key Sikh sites, and a Mansehra-Chilas Expressway via Naran is considered to significantly reduce travel distance between the two locations.