Pakistan is considering developing four major road infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs) as the government seeks to increase private investment and reduce the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) reliance on federal funding.
Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali co-chaired a meeting in Islamabad to discuss the proposals, involving the NHA, the Privatisation Commission and the Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A).
Officials reviewed the financial feasibility and commercial potential of the proposed projects, including a 169km section of the M-10 Motorway and a motorway linking Mansehra, Naran, Jhal Khand and Chilas, with a proposed connection towards the Chinese border.
The meeting also considered the proposed Guru Nanak Expressway, which the minister for communication said could support religious tourism for the Sikh community, and an extension of the Murree Expressway to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to promote tourism and trade.
Aleem Khan directed NHA officials to prepare business plans and identify projects suitable for private-sector investment.
He cited the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway (M-12), which is being developed under a public-private partnership, as an example of the model being pursued.
The minister said he wanted to transform the NHA into a financially self-sustaining organisation with a value of between 500 billion and 1 trillion Pakistani rupees, reducing its dependence on the government’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Prime Minister’s Adviser Mohammad Ali pledged support from the Privatisation Commission and P3A to assess the proposals.
Officials agreed to complete preliminary technical work and meet again within a week to review their findings.
The discussions form part of the government’s efforts to attract private investment into transport infrastructure while improving the financial sustainability of the NHA.