Officials from the National Highway Authority (NHA) have stated that plans are being drafted to build a 16-kilometre motorway from Lahore to Raiwind. 

 

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, headed by Chairperson Quratulain Marri, on Friday, a row erupted after NHA officials briefed the committee that a 16-kilometre long motorway from Lahore to Raiwind is being planned. Raiwind is home to the residence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. His daughter Maryam Nawaz is the current Chief Minister of Punjab. 

 

In response, Marri reportedly said that it apparently seems NHA is building a motorway for just one house. “Will the provincial government fund this motorway or will NHA,” she asked. In response, NHA officials stated that for now, they are only conducting a land survey.

 

The Chairperson stressed that no more motorways will be built in Punjab, adding that, primarily, incomplete motorways in other provinces must be finished first. 

 

She expressed surprise that such a motorway is not being built in Karachi, which has a port: “Why aren’t you building a motorway there?”

 

NHA officials replied that that there are two motorways in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) while Punjab has seven motorways.

 

Committee member Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar chimed in, asking, “Out of 14 motorways, doesn’t Balochistan deserve even one? Can’t you allocate even a single motorway for Balochistan?”

 

Meanwhile, the committee demanded a detailed briefing on all of Balochistan’s roads in the next meeting. The chairperson recommended that no more motorways be constructed in Punjab, emphasising that other provinces, especially Balochistan, should also have motorways.