ISLAMABAD: The top-priority Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project will start in April next year, the National Highway Authority (NHA) informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications.

`We will start the project by April next year,` NHA Chairman Sheharyar Sikandar told the meeting, chaired by MNA Ijaz Jakhrani on Thursday.

In his briefing to the NA panel on Thursday, the NHA chairman said the project would be financed by the Islamic Development Bank, adding that the advance procurement approval from the bank had been requested, with land acquisition expected to commence within a month.

It may be noted that there is ambiguity about the timeline of this project, which has already faced delays.

In June this year, Communications Minister Aleem Khan said the much-needed road project would start this year but did not specify if he was referring to the financial year or the calendar year.

Similarly, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, acknowledging the importance of the vital artery, said the work on the top-priority project would `begin next year`. He made this statement in February, but did not specify whether he meant the fiscal year or calendar year.

Meanwhile, the committeeexpressed displeasure over the absence of the communications ministry`s secretary, warning that future instances of non-attendance would be brought before the house and the privilege committee for appropriate action.

Toll tax revisions The committee also expressed concerns about the third revision in toll tax within a short period, which appeared to contravene its policy of revising the tax every three years.

The committee deemed this repeated increase against the public interest and directed the NHA to submit a detailed justification at the next meeting.

The motorway police chief also briefed the committee on the legal framework under which FIRs were being registered against motorists exceeding the 150 km/h speed limit, saying the practice had the cover of Section 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) relating to fast and negligent driving. It was noted that since the enforcement of this law, the casualties on the motorway had significantly decreased over the past five months.

The committee asked for a review, suggesting the replacement of corporal punishment with stricter financial penalties and possible licence suspensions.

Meanwhile, a calling-attention notice, moved by a member regarding the presence of two toll plazas within a five-kilometre stretch on the M-9 Motorway, termed it contradictory to the existing policythat mandated a minimum distance of 35km between two toll plazas.

The NH A responded that a major bridge was located at that point, and under current policy, toll plazas were permitted at each major bridge regardless of the distance.

The committee directed the NHA to submit a list of all bridges where toll plazas had been installed.

The committee was further informed that the Karachi Northern Bypass would be a part of the M-10 project, which would resolve the congestion issues faced by Karachi.

Carec project The NA committee also discussed the issue of alleged wrongdoing in the bidding process of the Rs170billionCentralAsiaRegional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-HI corridor project, as all four contracts had been awarded to a firm previously disqualified by the NHA.

The committee members reprimanded the NHA for allegedly favouring a joint venture of the Chinese firm Ningxia Communication Construction (NXCC) and two local firms. The NXCC was disqualified in 2023 for allegedly failing to complete a previous project.

Since the matter is already being scrutinised by the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division, the body decided to write to the Senate committee to seek the findings of its sub-committee.