Dera Murad Jamali Bypass Stalls Over Funding
The long-awaited Dera Murad Jamali Bypass has received no allocation in the current year’s Public Sector Development Programme, and a parliamentary committee has now demanded a plan to finish it. The Dera Murad Jamali Bypass is an 11.19-kilometre, two-lane road on the N-65, and work on it began in 2021.
The disclosure came at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications on Tuesday. The committee directed the National Highway Authority to submit a comprehensive plan at its next meeting, setting out how the project could be completed and what funding arrangements could prevent further delays.
A project approved in 2020, still unfinished
The bypass was approved by the Central Development Working Party on April 22, 2020. Its estimated cost is Rs1,456.32 million. Work started in 2021, yet the scheme has faced repeated delays, and it now stands without PSDP funding for the current year.
That gap between approval and completion is the core problem. A project that exists on paper, with a cost estimate and an approved design, still needs money released year by year. When a year passes with no allocation, work slows or stops, and costs tend to rise as time passes.
Balochistan has seen road projects given completion dates before. A set of provincial road schemes received dates running to 2028, as reported in Balochistan Road Projects Get 2026-2028 Dates. The Jamali bypass shows the other side of that record: a scheme that has waited years for steady funding, and now needs a fresh plan to reach completion.
What the committee told the NHA
The committee asked the National Highway Authority for two things. First, a comprehensive plan for completing the bypass. Second, funding arrangements that would stop the delays from repeating. Both items are due at the committee’s next meeting.
The committee also raised a separate concern about staffing. It expressed concern over staff shortages in the NHA’s Balochistan region, given the province’s extensive road network and the long stretches of highway that need regular maintenance and supervision.
The committee directed the NHA to review its staffing requirements and propose measures to strengthen its workforce in Balochistan, bringing staffing levels in line with those in other provinces. It also stressed that local residents should be eligible for recruitment against relevant positions, taking regional requirements into account.
Why the Dera Murad Jamali Bypass matters for a town
A bypass takes through-traffic around a town instead of through its centre. For residents, that can mean fewer heavy vehicles on local streets, safer crossings and less congestion. For traders and transporters, it can mean faster, more predictable journeys on a national highway.
Those benefits only arrive when the road is finished. An unfinished bypass leaves the town with the same through-traffic it started with, plus a construction site that may itself disrupt movement. That is why the committee’s focus on a completion plan matters as much as the funding question: a plan with dates and money attached is what turns an approved scheme into a usable road.
Traffic planning in other cities has followed a similar pattern of promises and plans. Peshawar is set to get three new underpasses under a traffic master plan, reported in Peshawar to Get Three New Underpasses Under Traffic Master Plan. The test in each case is the same: whether the plan survives contact with budgets and deadlines.
What happens next
The NHA must now return to the committee with a completion plan and a funding proposal. The committee will then judge whether the plan is credible, and whether the money can be found in a coming PSDP cycle.
For the people of Dera Murad Jamali, the practical question is simpler. They have waited since 2021 for a road that was meant to ease movement through their area. The committee’s directions give the project a next step, but the bypass will only help them when construction restarts and reaches completion.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dera Murad Jamali Bypass?
It is an 11.19-kilometre, two-lane bypass on the N-65, intended to carry through-traffic around Dera Murad Jamali.
How much does the project cost?
The project was estimated to cost Rs1,456.32 million, and it was approved by the Central Development Working Party on April 22, 2020.
Why has the bypass stalled?
It has faced repeated delays since work began in 2021, and it received no allocation in the current year’s Public Sector Development Programme.
What has the National Assembly committee asked for?
The committee directed the National Highway Authority to present a comprehensive completion plan and funding arrangements at its next meeting.
What did the committee say about NHA staffing?
It expressed concern over staff shortages in the NHA’s Balochistan region, and it directed a staffing review, with local residents eligible for relevant posts.
