Islamabad:
The Minister of Finance, Muhammad Aurengzeb, assured the National Assembly on Thursday that the Autopist Sukkur-Hyderabad-Karachi is essential for the economic connectivity of Pakistan and will be completed at all costs.
In response to the concerns raised by legislators, the minister said the project has been prioritized and will advance with funds through foreign sources or the public sector development program (PSDP).
He said that the federal budget is currently being completed, and that the Minister of Planning will inform the importance of the project so that appropriate assignments can be made.
The Minister of Status of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, while responding to a warning of attention to the exclusion of the PSDP 2024-25 project, clarified that, although the highway did not reach the development portfolio of this year, the members of Sukurhur-Hyderabad (M-6) were assured that it would be included in the PSDP 2025-26 and an initiative of Sukkur-Hyderabad (M-6) was secured in the PSDP 2025-26 and an initiative of Sukkur-Hyderabad was secured and would be included in the PSDP 2025-26 highway and the anti-caciatia aniciatia highway would be invited and feed on an initiative of Sukkur-Hyderatia antivative to the Above. under multiple financing mechanisms.
He added that the Ministry of Communications has already proposed RS10 billion for the M-6 in the next PSDP, with the figure subject to review.
“This project will be reflected not only in the PSDP but also supported through foreign financing and public-private partnership models (PPP),” he said and added that the work is being carried out to begin the project in the next fiscal year.
The Chamber informed the Global Financial Institutions, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), are interested in co -financed the highway and that the negotiations are in progress.
Disienting the accusations of regional favoritism, he said that the M-6 is not a project focused on Punjab, noting that only an 18-kilometer stretch falls into Punjab, while the rest covers Sindh and Baluchistan.
