• PM wants N-25 to be turned into ‘motorway-standard’ highway
• CM Bugti attends federal cabinet meeting on special dispensation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that instead of passing on the relief of reduced oil prices in international market to consumers, the government would use the saved money for reconstruction of the N-25 Highway and completion of Phase-II of the Kachhi Canal project in Balochistan.

The prime minister made the announcement while presiding over the federal cabinet meeting here, where he declared the transformation of the N-25, known infamously as the “deadly road”, into a Motorway-standard highway.

He said the decision reflected the national commitment to Balochistan’s development and an end to years of neglect.

“From a political and social perspective, it’s time we addressed the disparity. While Motorways run through several parts of the country, Balochistan has waited for too long. We will now change the fate of the N-25, from being a highway of tragedy to a highway of prosperity,” said the prime minister.

He underlined that the N-25, connecting Karachi to Chaman via Quetta, Kalat, and Khuzdar, has claimed more than 2,000 lives in recent years due to its poor condition and single-lane structure.

PM Shehbaz announced that the Rs300 billion reconstruction project would now move forward under the federal government’s supervision, with a third-party validation to ensure high standards of construction.

“We will build this as a top-class road, and I, along with Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, will personally supervise the progress of the project,” the prime minister said.

The construction of highway was first approved in the fiscal year 2022-23, but progress stalled due to funding gaps. The revival of the project is now being supported by reallocation of resources made possible by falling global petroleum prices. Rather than passing on the full relief to consumers, the government opted to invest in strategic infrastructure, the prime minister said.

He also told the cabinet members that Phase-II of the Kachhi Canal — a Rs70 billion irrigation project — would also be completed using the same pool of funds.

“If completed, this project will irrigate vast area of Balochistan’s arid land. It can transform agriculture, improve livelihoods, and address food security. The only condition is hard work,” he said.

PM Shehbaz emphasised the judicious allocation of resources keeping in view the needs of all federating units.

He highlighted the Rs70 billion solarization of tube wells project in Balochistan — a joint initiative of the federal and provincial governments — as a shining example of this collaboration, with the federal government bearing the 70 per cent of the cost.

He said the Hyderabad-Sukkur M-6 Motorway and M-9 Motorway from Sukkur to Karachi would also be built under the federal government’s transparent implementation process, extending high-quality roads across underserved areas.

During the cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz also condemned the tragic killing of eight innocent Pakistanis in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. He reiterated Pakistan’s expectation that Iranian authorities would swiftly bring perpetrators to justice.

The prime minister also prayed for the full and speedy recovery of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently under treatment for Covid-19.

The federal cabinet also took several key decisions, including approval of amendments to the Petroleum Levy Ordinance of 1961 to boost national revenues, endorsement of the Sustainable Investment Sukuk Framework for issuing domestic securities supporting environmental and renewable energy projects, greenlight for a bill to establish the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority, promoting agricultural reform and food security.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also attended the federal cabinet meeting as a special guest and lauded the prime minister’s decision to give priority to long-ignored projects in Balochistan.

“The N-25 was indeed a bloody road, but today you have shown compassion by diverting national resources to address the pain and deprivation of the people of Balochistan,” Mr Bugti said.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2025