slug: nha-four-ppp-projects-m10-mansehra-chilas-guru-nanak-expressway
category: Business
focus keyphrase: NHA PPP projects M-10 motorway
seo title: NHA PPP projects: M-10 motorway, Chilas link planned
meta description: NHA will pursue four PPP road projects including a 169-km M-10 motorway section, a Mansehra-Chilas link and the Guru Nanak Expressway.
tags: NHA, Abdul Aleem Khan, M-10 Motorway, public-private partnership, Mansehra-Chilas corridor, Guru Nanak Expressway, Murree Expressway, infrastructure
original element: explainer context — what each corridor means (M-10 section, Mansehra-Chilas as a second route toward the Chinese border, Guru Nanak Expressway’s Sikh-pilgrim purpose)
NHA to Pursue Four Road Projects Under Public-Private Partnership
ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) will develop four infrastructure projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, following a decision taken at a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The projects include a 169-kilometre section of the M-10 Motorway, a route linking Mansehra, Naran, Jalkhad and Chilas with the Chinese border, and the Guru Nanak Expressway planned for Sikh pilgrims. The meeting also discussed extending the Murree Expressway to Kashmir.
Khan directed NHA officials to prepare a business plan for the proposed projects. He stressed the need to strengthen the authority’s financial independence and said private investment should reduce the burden on the national exchequer.
Four corridors under one partnership plan
The decision bundles four separate corridors into a single PPP push. According to the NHA briefing shared at the meeting, the 169-kilometre M-10 Motorway section is the largest of the proposed schemes.
The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad-Chilas corridor connects Kaghan valley towns with Chilas, which sits on the Karakoram Highway. Road planners have described the route as a potential second link toward the north, alongside the existing Karakoram Highway alignment through Besham and Dasu. The minister had earlier directed the NHA to prepare a feasibility study for a 123-kilometre Mansehra-Naran section, calling it a model three-lane motorway that could support tourism and trade with China.
The Guru Nanak Expressway is planned to connect Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib with Pakistan’s motorway network. Kartarpur is the site of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, where Guru Nanak spent his final years, and Nankana Sahib is his birthplace. Earlier briefings on the project said hotels, rest areas and commercial facilities would form part of the plan, and the communications minister has invited Sikh communities in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States to invest, according to ARY News. The government has also directed that the project be moved toward international tendering, PakWheels reported.
The fourth item on the table, the Murree Expressway-to-Kashmir extension, was only discussed at this stage. No decision on its scope was announced.
Why the PPP route matters for the NHA
The communications minister told officials that the authority must stand on its own financially. The order to prepare a business plan suggests the NHA will test whether private investors can fund, build and operate the corridors in return for toll-based revenue.
PPP arrangements for roads are not new to Pakistan. Recent transport planning, including the push to reform the railways, has leaned on private participation to close funding gaps. For comparison, infrastructure schemes such as the Rawalpindi ring road, where toll plaza delays have complicated the plan, show why the financial structure matters as much as the engineering.
Pakistan has also been courting foreign capital for infrastructure in recent weeks. The Sindh investment conference in Shanghai and the UK’s stated interest in long-term investment in Pakistan point to a wider effort to bring outside money into local projects. Road corridors remain central to that pitch: a Rawalpindi corridor plan was recently scaled down after costs rose, a reminder that scope control decides which projects survive.
What happens next
Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on privatisation, attended the meeting and pledged his cooperation with the PPP proposals. His presence links the road projects with the government’s broader privatisation and private-investment drive.
Officials agreed to complete preliminary work within one week and to hold another meeting to review progress. That timeline is an official commitment, not a confirmed outcome, and the NHA has yet to publish a business plan or tender documents for any of the four schemes.
Transport planners will watch the second meeting closely. If the business plans hold up, the Mansehra-Chilas corridor would create a second northern road link toward the Chinese border, a significant addition to the country’s trade and tourism map. For now, the projects remain proposals under review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which four projects will the NHA pursue under the PPP model?
The four are a 169-kilometre section of the M-10 Motorway, a Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad-Chilas route toward the Chinese border, the Guru Nanak Expressway for Sikh pilgrims, and a proposed extension of the Murree Expressway to Kashmir.
What is the M-10 motorway project?
The M-10 is a planned motorway corridor in Pakistan’s national network. The NHA meeting approved a 169-kilometre section of it for development under the public-private partnership model, subject to a business plan.
Why does the Mansehra-Chilas route matter?
The route links Mansehra, Naran, Jalkhad and Chilas, which sits on the Karakoram Highway. Officials have said it could serve as a second northern link toward China, supporting tourism in the Kaghan valley and trade connectivity. A separate 123-kilometre Mansehra-Naran feasibility study was ordered earlier this month.
What is the Guru Nanak Expressway?
It is a planned expressway connecting Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib with the motorway network, aimed at improving access to sites of importance to the Sikh community. The government has invited overseas Sikh communities in the UK, Canada and the US to invest in the project.
When will work on the projects begin?
Officials agreed to complete preliminary work within one week of the October 21 meeting and hold another review meeting. No construction timeline, tender date or cost estimate has been announced for any of the four schemes.
