'Govt to use oil price savings for N-25 upgrade, Balochistan uplift'

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government will allocate savings from reduced global oil prices toward infrastructure projects.

These include upgrading the notorious N-25 Highway to a motorway-standard highway and completing Phase-II of the Kachhi Canal project in Balochistan.

Addressing a federal cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz said that the decision reflected the national commitment to Balochistan’s development and an end to years of neglect.

“From a political and social perspective, it’s time to address the disparity. While motorways run through many parts of the country, Balochistan has waited far too long. We will now change the fate of the N-25, from being a highway of tragedy to a highway of prosperity,” said the prime minister.

He underlined that the N-25, connecting Karachi to Chaman via Quetta, Kalat, and Khuzdar, had claimed more than 2,000 lives in recent years due to its poor condition and single-lane structure.

PM Shehbaz announced that the Rs300 billion reconstruction project would now move forward under federal government’s supervision, with third-party validation to ensure high standards.

“We will build this as a top-class road, and I, along with Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, will personally supervise the progress,” the prime minister stated.

The highway was first approved in FY2022-23, but progress stalled due to funding gaps. The revival of the project is now being supported by a reallocation of resources made possible by falling global petroleum prices. Rather than passing on the full relief to consumers, the government opted to invest in strategic infrastructure, the prime minister said.

He also told the cabinet members that Phase-II of the Kachhi Canal—a Rs70 billion irrigation project—would also be completed using the same pool of funds.

“If completed, this project will irrigate vast area of Balochistan’s arid land. It can transform agriculture, improve livelihoods, and address food security. The only condition is hard work,” he said.

PM Shehbaz emphasized the judicious allocation of resources keeping in view the needs of all federating units.

He highlighted the Rs70 billion solarization of tubewells in Balochistan—a joint initiative of the federal and provincial governments—as a shining example of this collaboration, with the federal government covering 70% of the cost.

He added that the Hyderabad-Sukkur M-6 Motorway and M-9 Motorway from Sukkur to Karachi would also be built under the federal government’s transparent implementation process, extending high-quality roads across underserved areas.

During the cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz also condemned the tragic killing of eight innocent Pakistanis in Iran’s Sistan province. He reiterated Pakistan’s expectation that the Iranian authorities would swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.

The prime minister also prayed for the full and speedy recovery of President Asif Ali Zardari who was currently under treatment after he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

The federal cabinet also took several key decisions, including approval of amendments to the Petroleum Levy Ordinance (1961) to boost national revenues, endorsement of the Sustainable Investment Sukuk Framework for issuing domestic securities supporting environmental and renewable energy projects, greenlight for a bill to establish the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority, promoting agricultural reform and food security.

On the occasion, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, attending as a special guest, lauded the Prime Minister’s decision to prioritise long-ignored projects in Balochistan.

“The N-25 was indeed a bloody road, but today you have shown compassion by diverting national resources to address the pain and deprivation of the people of Balochistan,” Bugti added.