Construction on all five sections of the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6) will commence simultaneously within the current financial year, according to National Highways Authority (NHA) Chairman Muhammad Shehryar Sultan.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Communications, Sultan clarified that the Rs15 billion allocated for M-6 in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) is meant for the overall supervision of the project rather than physical construction.
He added that discussions with multilateral agencies and investors are nearing conclusion, with work expected to begin on all sections by March or April 2026.
The 306-kilometre project has a revised cost of Rs363.70 billion, with a 30-month construction timeline. Sections 1 and 2 are being taken up under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) providing transaction advisory and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) expected to contribute a Viability Gap Fund (VGF).
Meanwhile, the OPEC Fund and Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) are likely to finance Section 3, and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has indicated support of $475 million for Sections 4 and 5.
Separately, the committee discussed the Sehwan Bypass under the CAREC Tranche-1 project. The bypass cannot be included in the current ADB-funded project as it nears closure. A separate PC-I has been recommended for consideration in the upcoming PSDP.
