Sialkot-Kharian Motorway Faces Further Delay Until 2028

Construction of the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway is severely delayed, with only 20 percent finished and the deadline pushed to February 2028.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 29, 2026 · 12:23 PM 1 min read

Key takeaways

The 69-kilometer Sialkot-Kharian Motorway has only reached 20 percent completion.

The Rs. 89.739 billion project started in October 2022 and was originally meant to finish in September 2024.

The completion deadline is now shifted to February 2028.

Money shortages and slow land acquisition by Sialkot and Gujrat administrations caused the delays.

The Economic Coordination Committee approved sovereign guarantees worth Rs. 27.62 billion in August 2026.

Federal authorities informed the Punjab government that building the 69-kilometer Sialkot (Sambrial)-Kharian Motorway (M-12) lags behind schedule, achieving just 20 percent completion so far.

Started in October 2022 with a budget of Rs. 89.739 billion, the undertaking was first set to finish in September 2024. Insiders informed ProPakistani that the new target date for finishing is February 2028.

Insiders explained that financial shortages and slow land acquisition gazette notifications by local administrations in Sialkot and Gujrat slowed down the construction.

Work restarted in February 2026 and currently proceeds at maximum speed, according to the same sources.

Funding and Land Acquisition Hold Up Progress

The documentation states that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) greenlit sovereign guarantees totaling Rs. 27.62 billion during August 2026 to help secure financing.

Insiders told ProPakistani that the Prime Minister's Office views faster land acquisition as essential for finishing the highway, suggesting the prime minister order the chief secretary of Punjab to speed up the work.

This initiative features a 69-kilometer, six-lane highway alongside a 1,043-meter bridge crossing the River Chenab. Upon finishing, the road should enhance travel between Sialkot and Kharian, though the February 2028 finish date depends on financial and land acquisition progress.

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