KARACHI: Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar has written a letter to Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, expressing serious concerns over the recent termination of a contract for the construction of ‘strategically significant’ 306-km-long Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway by the National Highway Authority (NHA) with an Italian firm.

The letter pointed out that the NHA had terminated the concession agreement with the foreign firm, following the failure of the concessionaire to achieve the financial close within the stipulated time.

“The development does not augur well for a project of high strategic significance and will result in further delay in its execution,” writes Justice Baqar, urging the premier to issue directions to the relevant authorities for early execution of M-6 project ‘through any mode’ which the federal government may deem appropriate so that ‘people of Pakistan in general and Sindh province in particular are provided a safe and efficient corridor for transportation’.

Originally, this project was part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

Approaches PM, seeks his intervention in early execution of vital project

“Unfortunately, it was excluded from the CPEC framework by the federal government without assigning any specific reason,” notes the CM.

The project was approved by Ecnec in July 2020 at a cost of Rs165.678 billion which was revised in May 2021 at a cost of Rs191.471 billion. However, after multiple ‘failed attempts’, the project was finally approved in December 2022 for execution on ‘build operate and transfer’ framework under public private partnership at a cost of Rs308.194 billion.

The CM observed that a robust communication network was key to trade, connectivity, development and prosperity.

In this backdrop, Justice Baqar opined that the network of motorways from Peshawar to Karachi constitute the most crucial North-South link that formed part of the trade corridor connecting ports of Karachi and Gwadar with China, Afghanistan and Central Asian States.

“It is however, noted with concern that while all the segments of Peshawar-Karachi Motorway have been completed, the most crucial link i.e., Hyderabad-Sukkur link (M-6) is still missing with no progress on its execution on site.”

The project envisaged

construction of 306-kilometer long, six-lane wide, access-controlled Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway for efficient and safe transportation. The scope of work includes construction of one main bridge over River Indus, 15 interchanges, six flyovers, 19 overpass bridges, 76 canal bridges, 154 subways, 137 cattle creeps and drainage structure.

The scope of work also included construction of 48 box culverts, 624 pipe culverts, 60 kilometer service roads on either side, 5X2 service areas or 6X2 rest areas, two main toll plazas and 28 ones at interchanges, road furniture along with allied facilities.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024