Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway: Govt faces criticism in NA over alleged mishandling

ISLAMABAD: The federal government faced sharp criticism in National Assembly on Tuesday, as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) accused it of mishandling the Rs465 billion Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway project and breaching fiscal protocols by taking control of a project that should remain under provincial jurisdiction.

In a calling attention notice, PPP MPs, including Naveed Qamar and Agha Rafiullah, urged Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal to address concerns over the “federalisation” of the motorway project.

The PPP accused the government of misallocating resources and undermining provincial autonomy, questioning the rationale behind centralising a provincial motorway initiative.

READ MORE: Finances for three sections arranged: Work on Sukkur-Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway project will start in Q1 2026

Qamar further criticised the alleged diversion of funds from other federal projects to the motorway, claiming the government was prioritising political interests over fiscal responsibility.

He demanded Iqbal to clarify whether the motorway project was indeed being federalised, warning that arbitrary decisions could destabilise public-private partnerships (PPPs) and violate international financial agreements, including those with the IMF.

In his response, Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, Minister of State for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, rejected the allegations, asserting that no funds had been diverted from other projects to the Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway.

He also emphasised that the government was prioritising the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway Project (M-6), which would be included in the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Sharmila Farooqi joined the debate, accusing the government of violating fiscal agreements by incorporating the provincial project into the federal PSDP without provincial consent.

She also raised concerns about the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) Rs3.5 trillion “throw-forward,” highlighting the potential complications of federal funding for the motorway project.

Tensions escalated when Agha Rafiullah questioned the government’s credibility, pointing to its recent withdrawal of a controversial ordinance as evidence of mismanagement.

He expressed scepticism about the federal government’s claim of not providing funding for the Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway, saying, “We know how they trick people and then backtrack when caught, just like they did in the recent ordinance controversy.”

The National Assembly Speaker referred the matter to the Planning and Development Panel for further review, signalling that the controversy surrounding the motorway project is far from resolved.

In a separate calling attention notice, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary briefed the House on several national issues, including Islamabad’s green cover and the crackdown on illegal call centres.

He reported that Islamabad’s green cover had increased over the past 18 months following the removal of 29,115 Paper Mulberry trees, which posed health risks. In their place, 40,000 trees have been planted, with another 60,000 set to be planted by 30 March.

On illegal call centres, he highlighted the growing issue of operations linked to financial fraud and scams, often set up in remote areas.

He said these centres were tarnishing the country’s international reputation, and authorities were taking action to shut them down.

He also addressed challenges faced by the National Cyber Crime Investigation (NCCI) wing, which replaced the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime division.

With just 523 staff members nationwide, the NCCI is struggling to manage the increasing number of cybercrimes, but the government is addressing this by recruiting new personnel and reallocating staff from other departments.

The House also passed a resolution, moved by Agha Rafiullah, urging the government to investigate the off-loading of documented passengers at airports and implement reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in such decisions.

Additionally, three bills were introduced in the House: the National Database and Registration Authority Amendment Bill, 2025, the ICT Batteries (Management and Recycling) Bill, 2025 and the Co-operative Societies Amendment Bill, 2025.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026