Sindh Government Spokesperson Sukhdev Hemnani has expressed serious concern over the continued mismanagement and persistent neglect of highways and motorways in Sindh that fall under federal jurisdiction. Despite repeated requests by the Sindh Government, these critical and strategic routes remain in a dangerous and deteriorated condition, posing a grave threat to human lives and causing significant economic losses.
Fatal accidents and multi-vehicle collisions on the N-5, N-55, and M-9 have become routine, claiming dozens of lives every month and exposing the National Highway Authority’s failure to properly manage key national arteries in Sindh. The situation is further aggravated by poor traffic management and weak law enforcement, highlighting the urgent need for strict safety oversight, particularly on high-speed corridors like the M-9.
Hemnani stated that maintaining law and order on national highways is the responsibility of the National Highway & Motorway Police, and NHA’s persistent failure to ensure commuter safety forced the Sindh Government to establish its own Highway Police to protect the public. Meanwhile, the NHA continues to collect hefty tolls at intervals of 50-60 kilometers, yet fails to provide even basic maintenance and safety standards.
Highlighting the poor state of the Indus Highway, Hemnani said the Jamshoro-Sehwan section remains incomplete despite Sindh having fully deposited its financial share for the dual carriageway. Ongoing federal delays and NHA’s negligence continue to cost precious lives. Recent deadly crashes on the N-5 in Naushahro Feroze and Tando Masti in Khairpur, as well as on the Manjhand section of the N-55 and the M-9 near Karachi, have claimed more than three dozen lives in just one month due to NHA’s failure.
Hemnani also drew attention to the grossly mismanaged repair work on the N-5 section between Moro and Ranipur, where one side of the highway has been arbitrarily closed for months without providing any alternate route. He termed this prolonged mismanagement irresponsible and unacceptable, noting that it has been causing daily traffic congestion on this vital national artery for almost six months, resulting in delays, economic losses, and severe hardship for commuters and transporters.
He further pointed to deliberate delays in the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project, reflecting a lack of political will at the federal level. While motorway projects in other parts of the country, particularly Punjab, have progressed with full federal support, Sindh’s highways-vital to national trade, transport, and strategic connectivity-continue to be ignored.
Hemnani demanded an independent technical and safety audit of all major national highways and motorways in Sindh to fix responsibility for construction flaws and systemic failures.
“The continued neglect of highways in Sindh is unacceptable. It is costing lives and crippling economic activity. The federal government must immediately repair, maintain, and secure these roads and compensate the Sindh Government for losses caused by this prolonged negligence,” Hemnani emphasized.