ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has directed authorities to upgrade the Karachi-Chaman National Highway (N-25) into a high-standard expressway by August 2027. He urged all stakeholders to treat it as a national milestone.
He instructed the National Highways Authority (NHA) to finalise all formalities and hold the groundbreaking ceremony on August 14, 2025.
Iqbal chaired a progress review meeting. Officials from the Ministry of Communications, NHA, and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) attended.
NHA officials briefed the minister on the revised project plan. They said the dualisation of the Hub Bypass had been added to the PC-1 after the Minister for Communications’ recommendation on June 20. They plan to submit the revised PC-1 by July 2.
Minister Iqbal called the N-25 a vital link between Sindh and Balochistan. He said the highway could serve as a key trade route to Central Asia and help boost Balochistan’s economy.
Earlier, NHA had invited bids from state-owned enterprises on June 17. The bids will be opened on July 2.
FWO officials updated the minister on construction progress. The project is divided into four sections. They reported that 68% of work on the 51 km Jiwa–Surab section is complete.
The minister also reviewed plans for service areas along the expressway. He ordered that each side of the road must have proper facilities. These should include rest areas, fuel stations, restaurants, workshops, and other essentials.
He further instructed NHA to consult truck operators. Their input will help decide the best locations for these service points. Some service areas, he said, should offer full-scale support for truckers.
Expressing concern over safety, Iqbal noted that 42 FWO workers died during N-85 construction. He stressed the need for strong security. He urged the Balochistan government to ensure protection along N-85 and in Gwadar.
He proposed setting up a dedicated security force for the N-25. Security teams must be deployed as per the construction schedule.
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Lastly, he urged planners to allow for future expansion. He said the expressway must be designed so that it can easily be widened to six lanes when traffic increases in the coming decades.