PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has directed federal government to release required funds to National Highway Authority (NHA) for early completion of Indus Highway Rehabilitation, Peshawar Northern Bypass Road and Chitral-Shandur Road projects.

A bench consisting of PHC Chief Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan sought comprehensive reports from the member (North Zone) of NHA, Amjid Ali Khan, regarding different highway and road construction and rehabilitation projects executed in the province by the authority.

About the mid-year financial review board meeting of planning division, the bench ordered: “Be all that as it may, the mid-year financial review board is hereby directed to decide the case (of Indus Highway) on priority basis by allocating sufficient funds, keeping in view the geopolitical importance, socio-economic significance of Indus Highway project and certainly deteriorating law and order condition particularly in Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan divisions.”

The bench ordered that the requisite funds should be released to NHA (North Zone) for completion of Indus Highway project as well as the two other projects (Northern Bypass Road and Chitral-Shandur Road) mentioned earlier.

PHC seeks reports about different road schemes in the province

The bench was hearing issues related to conditions of important highways and roads in the province including Indus Highway, Chitral-Shandur Road, Northern Bypass Road, Booni-Buzung Road, Swat Expressway and Hazara Motorway, etc.

The additional advocate general, Naumanul Haq Kakakhel, and the deputy attorney general, Atif Nazir, appeared for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal governments, respectively, whereas Advocate Sikander Rashid represented NHA.

Several officers of federal and KP governments also turned up in the matter.

During previous hearing last month, Amjid Ali had informed the court that Indus Highway project was initiated in 2018 and was scheduled for completion in 2020, however, due to prolonged financial shortages, even after lapse of almost seven years, the same remained incomplete.

The member had said that an amount of Rs 9.8 billion was required for completion of the project whereas only Rs 15 billion was allocated, which was grossly insufficient. He had said that the matter of allocation of additional funds was expected to be placed before mid- year financial review board, chaired by planning division, with the NHA chairman as a member.

The bench had then directed him to prepare and submit a comprehensive case for allocation and release of additional funds before mid-year financial review board. However, the member now informed the bench that the review board meeting was not scheduled, despite the expectation that it would be held during the current month.

As he had not submitted the required report, the bench allowed him more time for submitting the same.

Additionally, the bench directed the general manager (North Zone) of NHA to submit a detailed report regarding the feasibility of dualisation across Kohat tunnel, specifying whether the same was practically possible or otherwise.

The bench directed the member of NHA to submit a comprehensive report regarding Peshawar Northern Bypass project from Charsadda-Peshawar Road to Nasirbagh Road within a fortnight.

The bench fixed March 26 for next hearing.

CHITRAL-SHANDUR PROJECT: The member (North Zone) of NHA, Amjid Ali, said that an amount of around Rs850 million was required for land acquisition out of which an amount of Rs500 million was already disbursed to revenue department and the acquisition process was expected to commence shortly.

He said that for the remaining amount of Rs350 million, a case was placed before mid-year financial review board for approval.

HAZARA MOTORWAY: The member of NHA said that around 80 per cent of the work on five ongoing sections of the motorway was completed while the remaining sections were currently under procurement process.

He stated that upon completion of the said process, work on those sections would also be commenced.

The bench sought report from the general manger (Hazara) of NHA regarding the ongoing work on various sections as well as work required on the remaining sections, within a fortnight.

BOONI-BUZUNG ROAD: An executive engineer of communication and works department, Ziaur Rehman, informed the bench that out of the total length of 28-kilometre of the road, 15 kilometres had been completed and opened to traffic, whereas the remaining 13 kilometres were expected to be completed by June 2026.

Presently, he stated, construction work was stopped due to adverse weather conditions and freezing temperatures in Chitral.

Moreover, the bench also directed the additional advocate general, Naumanul Haq Kakakhel, to submit a detailed report regarding Dir Motorway within a fortnight on behalf of the provincial government and appear on next date along with a responsible officer.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026