ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority has begun long-awaited construction on the N-25 (Pakistan Expressway) in Balochistan.

According to the NHA, the 800-kilometre-long highway will connect major cities, including Karachi, Quetta, and Chaman. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the project earlier this year.

Presiding over a meeting on Thursday, Federal Communi­ca­tions Minister Abdul Aleem Khan noted that the highway in Balochistan would serve as a strategic milestone and also be a transformative step for the socio-economic development of the country’s largest province in terms of area.

The minister reviewed the pace of the ongoing projects in the province, including the M-8 — vital for enhancing connectivity with Gwadar Port.

Aleem says highway to serve as ‘strategic milestone’, lead to socio-economic development

During the meeting, the minister was also briefed on security matters and other aspects related to the NHA’s construction activities in Balochistan.

During a briefing on projects in Sindh, the minister ordered the early completion of the remaining work on Lyari Expressway.

He said the NHA would develop the expressway as a model road for Karachi, with dedicated plans for cleanliness, landscaping and beautification that would set a new standard for quality infrastructure.

He added that PM Shehbaz and Sindh Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah would be invited to inaugurate Lyari Expressway.

‘Killer road’

In May this year, the premier had recalled that the highway was infamously known as the khooni road (killer highway) in Balochistan due to “accidents that occur every other day there”.

He had approved the reconstruction of this “killer road” at an estimated cost of around Rs300 billion to 350bn.

After reconstruction, the highway will reduce travel time between one point to another from 18 to six hours.

“The [reconstruction] of the Karachi-Chaman National High­way is not just a road project, it’s a strategic lifeline for Balochistan’s prosperity,” PM Shehbaz had said.

“This will boost up trade, transport and public convenience along the route,” the prime minister had said, adding that top quality construction and completion of the project must be ensured within two years. The expressway will be a four-lane dual carriageway.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2025