Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, presided over a high-level review meeting today concerning the strategic projects of the National Highway Authority (NHA). During the session, the Minister was briefed that several major infrastructure projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reached completion and are now awaiting formal inauguration by the Prime Minister. These completed routes include the Kohat-Jhand-Pindi Gheb and the Old Bannu Road highways, which will significantly improve regional connectivity.
Addressing the timeline for ongoing works, the Minister was informed that the Indus Highway (N-55) Kohat Section and the Peshawar Northern Bypass are on track to be completed by June 2026. Furthermore, the development of the N-140 highway, connecting Chitral to Shandur and Shandur to Gilgit, is expected to be finalized by December 2026. The Minister issued categorical instructions to further accelerate the pace of work on the N-55 Kohat section and announced his decision to personally visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa soon to inspect the progress on-site.
In a move to ensure unprecedented transparency and financial discipline, Minister Abdul Aleem Khan mandated that all payments related to road maintenance shall strictly be disbursed only after a personal site visit and verification by the Chairman NHA. He directed the officials to refrain from unnecessary payments in the name of maintenance. The Minister emphasized that delays in completion lead to cost escalations and reiterated that no compromise would be made on the quality of construction.
Finally, the Federal Minister directed the NHA to proactively engage with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government to "take up" and resolve all pending matters. He also stressed that a better strategy must be formulated for foreign-funded projects and that all developmental issues must receive formal approval from the members of the NHA Board. Chairman NHA was further directed to provide an immediate list of projects requiring urgent cash flow to prevent any further technical or administrative hurdles.
