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The National Highway Authority (NHA) has achieved its revenue enhancement target set two years ago, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said on Wednesday.
Khan chaired a high-level NHA review meeting that examined ongoing and proposed development projects, revenue generation, road safety and financial matters.
The minister said the NHA would now use revenue from its existing streams to finance the construction of new roads. He also said several major projects are expected to be completed in the coming months.
These projects include the Lodhran-Multan Expressway, the expansion of the Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway and the Peshawar Northern Bypass. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to inaugurate the completed projects.
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Khan said work on the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway was moving rapidly. He added that construction had also started on the Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Pakistan Expressway (N-25).
The minister expressed concern over the condition of the Lahore-Gujranwala GT Road. He directed NHA officials to take immediate steps to improve the road and provide relief to commuters.
Road safety also remained a key focus of the meeting. Khan directed the NHA to improve engineering standards in the design and construction of new highways.
He said protecting human lives must remain the authority’s top priority. He also raised concerns about the design of the M-4 and other highways.
Khan called for Pakistani motorways to be green, safe and comfortable. He directed the NHA to engage foreign experts to improve road engineering and highway design.
He also instructed NHA engineers to adopt international best practices. The aim, he said, should be to develop safer and more comfortable motorways for motorists.
Officials briefed the minister on funding for the M-6 Motorway and projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). They also provided updates on NHA projects across all four provinces.
The meeting was informed that the NHA manages only 3.13 percent of Pakistan’s road network. However, more than 80 percent of the country’s traffic uses this network.
Officials said the NHA would soon present the Prime Minister with a detailed performance report covering the authority’s work over the past two and a half years.
Federal Secretary for Communications and the NHA chairman also briefed the meeting on ongoing and proposed projects.
The meeting further decided to approach the federal government for Rs108 billion in funding for NHA projects in Balochistan.
[…] NHA Hits Revenue Target as Aleem Khan Pushes Safer Highways […]