M-6: Complete Pakistan’s Primary Economic Artery Before Building Alternatives
Ishak Soomro
Pakistan’s motorway network has
expanded considerably over the past three decades, connecting major regions and
strengthening national trade and transport links. However, one fundamental
question remains: should the country continue prioritizing new and alternative
motorway routes while a critical gap in its primary north-south motorway artery
remains incomplete?
The recent decision by the Executive
Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to approve and priorities
the Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalnagar Motorway and Khawazakhela-Bisham Expressway,
along with the earlier consideration of the Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway,
reflects the government’s broader approach to regional connectivity. These
projects may have their own strategic and economic importance, but Pakistan
must distinguish between alternative or distance-shortening routes and the
completion of its principal national motorway corridor.
The immediate priority should be the
completion of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (PKM), particularly the
long-delayed Sukkur-Hyderabad M-6, together with an effective motorway
connection from the PKM into Karachi, including the proposed New M-10.
The PKM, stretching roughly 1,150 kilometers,
is intended to form the backbone of Pakistan’s north-south motorway
connectivity. Its development began with the motorway vision of the 1990s. The
Lahore-Islamabad M-2 was initiated in 1994 and opened in 1997, followed by the
Islamabad-Peshawar M-1. Over the years, M-3, M-4, M-5 and M-9 progressively
extended the motorway network towards southern Pakistan.
The completion of the 392-kilometre
Multan-Sukkur M-5 in 2019 represented a major milestone. Yet one critical gap
continues to prevent the corridor from functioning as a seamless motorway: the
approximately 306-kilometre M-6 Sukkur-Hyderabad.
This is not simply another road
project. It is the missing link in Pakistan’s principal north-south economic
corridor.
Karachi is Pakistan’s gateway to
international trade. The country’s major ports are located there, while the
city’s industrial, commercial and financial activity has national economic
significance. Goods arriving at Karachi’s ports must travel efficiently towards
Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. Likewise,
agricultural produce, manufactured goods and exports from the interior need
reliable and efficient access to Karachi.
At present, the absence of M-6
forces a large volume of long-distance traffic onto the old N-5 corridor
through Sindh. Trucks and other heavy vehicles pass through towns,
intersections and areas of local traffic, creating congestion and delays. A
journey that should be predictable in terms of travel time can become uncertain
and expensive.
The economic cost is much greater
than the inconvenience experienced by motorists. For freight operators, delays
mean higher fuel consumption, increased expenditure on tyres and vehicle
maintenance, greater driver costs and accelerated vehicle depreciation.
Businesses face additional inventory and delivery costs, while consumers ultimately
bear part of these inefficiencies through higher prices.
The impact on agriculture is
particularly important. Sindh and other provinces produce large quantities of
fruits, vegetables and other perishable commodities. Every unnecessary hour
spent in transit increases the risk of spoilage and reduces the value received
by farmers and traders. A modern motorway connection could therefore contribute
not only to transport efficiency but also to reducing post-harvest losses and
improving access to national markets.
There is also a strong road-safety
argument for M-6. A controlled-access motorway designed primarily for
long-distance traffic would remove a substantial amount of heavy freight
traffic from the existing N-5 corridor. This could reduce pressure on communities
located along the old highway and improve safety for local motorists,
pedestrians and commercial traffic.
This is why Pakistan’s development
priorities deserve careful reconsideration. The Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalnagar
Motorway, Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway and Khawazakhela-Bisham Expressway may
provide important regional benefits, improve connectivity and shorten travel
distances. But they should not be regarded as substitutes for completing the
country’s primary north-south motorway artery.
A national infrastructure strategy
should first ensure that the main economic corridor is complete and fully
operational before placing comparable priority on additional or alternative
routes.
The same principle applies to
Karachi. Completing M-6 alone will not resolve all of Karachi’s connectivity
challenges. The southern end of the PKM must be properly integrated with
Karachi’s motorway and urban transport network. The proposed New M-10
could play an important role in establishing a more efficient connection
between the national motorway system, Karachi’s ports, industrial areas,
logistics centers and major distribution networks.
The issue, therefore, is larger than
the construction of a single motorway.
It is about network logic. A
motorway system delivers its greatest economic value when its major links
operate continuously. Pakistan has already invested billions of rupees in M-1,
M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5 and M-9. The economic return from those investments cannot
be fully realised while a major missing link remains between Sukkur and
Hyderabad.
After nearly three decades of
planning and promises, the country needs to move beyond another announcement.
The federal government should establish a clear financing, procurement and
construction schedule for M-6, covering the entire corridor and ensuring that
construction proceeds towards a definite completion date rather than through
fragmented and uncertain arrangements.
Instead of asking only, “How much
will M-6 cost?”, policymakers should ask, “How much is Pakistan losing
every year because M-6 has not been completed?”
That calculation should include
additional fuel consumption, freight delays, vehicle operating costs, road
accidents, agricultural losses, congestion, inventory costs and lost commercial
opportunities. Once these costs are measured, the economic case for completing
the missing link becomes considerably stronger.
Pakistan does not need fragmented
motorway planning while its primary economic artery remains incomplete. The
country needs a clear hierarchy of priorities: complete the Peshawar-Karachi
Motorway, close the M-6 gap, integrate the southern gateway through an
effective Karachi link such as New M-10, and then proceed with alternative and
distance-shortening motorway projects according to their economic and strategic
merit.
Completing the PKM is not simply
about building another road. It is about completing the road Pakistan has
already spent decades and billions building.
The country must first finish its
primary economic artery, connect its major seaport gateway with the national
market, reduce the logistics burden on businesses and farmers, improve road
safety and unlock the full economic potential of its existing motorway
investments.
Pakistan should complete its main
economic artery before building more alternatives.
