ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning and Development has summoned the Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) and the concerned federal minister at its next meeting to seek a definitive timeline for the long-delayed Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6).
The 306-kilometre M-6 project, estimated to cost Rs359 billion, has been divided into five sections. Construction is now expected to commence from the Sukkur side in November 2026, while approval for the Hyderabad-side sections under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model remains pending.
According to NHA officials, Section-I from Hyderabad to Tando Adam is 57km and Section-II from Tando Adam to Nawabshah is 63km, both proposed under the PPP model. Section-III from Nawabshah to Naushehro Feroze is 65km, Section-IV from Naushehro Feroze to Ranipur is 61km, and Section-V from Ranipur to Sukkur is 60km, with the latter three sections planned through international financing.
The committee was informed that recent litigation and delays in PPP approvals have affected the project timeline. An earlier PPP agreement signed in December 2022 was cancelled after the concessionaire failed to achieve financial close within the stipulated period, following which the project was restructured.
The M-6 is considered a key missing link in Pakistan’s motorway network, connecting the M-5 Multan-Sukkur Motorway with the motorway network towards Karachi and reducing dependence on the N-5 for north-south traffic.
The committee directed the NHA to submit a clear report on the commencement timeline for each section, the status of PPP approvals and measures being taken to resolve legal hurdles, rather than relying on verbal assurances.
