The National Highway Authority (NHA), under the instructions of the Federal Minister for Communications has successfully saved 13.5 billion rupees on a single project. This significant saving was made possible due to the contractor’s agreement to better terms for the construction of the Sarai Saleh to Havelian Highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which resulted in a more favorable deal. This was revealed during a high-level meeting of the NHA chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan. Federal Minister directed that key projects such as the Rato Dero to Shikarpur and Jamshoro to Sehwan be completed before June 30, 2025. He emphasized that contractors responsible for unnecessary delays should be blacklisted. Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan also sought a report on land acquisition in Sindh and the timeline of all ongoing projects in the country. He stressed that delays in projects funded by donor agencies will not be tolerated under any circumstances urging the contractors to demonstrate self accountability. Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan directed that the terms of the contracts for NHA projects should be revised to ensure that delays are penalized with the consequences borne by the contractors rather than the Government. In the meeting, Federal Minister set specific targets for NHA officials, stressing that each officer must meet their assigned objectives or they will not be allowed to remain in their positions. He further stated that foreign companies should be fully involved in NHA projects ensuring transparency in all projects.
The meeting also reviewed the progress and challenges of NHA projects across the country. The Federal Minister instructed that issues being faced at project sites be addressed immediately. The Federal Secretary of Communications and the Chairman of NHA provided briefings on important departmental matters with the Federal Minister approving several key decisions.