After more than six years of delays, the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (HSM) is finally moving forward. The Senate has declared it a top priority, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has shown personal interest to kickstart the long-awaited project. With both government and Senate backing, there’s new hope that this crucial part of CPEC will soon break ground.

The Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (HSM), a 306 km mega-infrastructure project and a vital link in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has faced years of delays due to funding problems and bureaucratic hurdles. But now, things are finally changing.

On Tuesday, the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development gave a clear directive to the National Highway Authority (NHA): Focus only on the HSM and pause other projects. Senator Quratulain Marri demanded to know why funds were being used on other motorways while this one was stuck. She stressed the importance of starting from port cities like Karachi to ensure better trade connectivity.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal assured the Senate that the government would now prioritize HSM. He emphasized that it’s a key project not just for Sindh, but for the entire country. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, confirming his commitment and saying HSM would soon be added to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The project had earlier run into controversies. The construction contract was given to Techno Engineering Services (TES) but later canceled due to alleged irregularities. A new proposal from TES is under review, and firms like Zahir Khan & Brothers (ZKB) are also in the picture for potential execution under a public-private partnership model.

This motorway will connect Hyderabad to Sukkur, making it easier to transport goods from the Karachi port to the rest of Pakistan. It’s expected to ease traffic on existing roads and boost economic growth in Sindh and beyond.