Islamabad, June 2 (GNP): In a major infrastructure initiative poised to reshape Pakistan’s northern transport network and strengthen regional trade connectivity, the government has unveiled plans for a new motorway linking Mansehra to Chilas, which officials say will serve as a safer and faster alternative to the Karakoram Highway while creating a direct corridor between western China and Pakistan’s ports on the Arabian Sea.
The project came under review during an important meeting of the National Highway Authority (NHA) chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan in Islamabad on Monday.
During the briefing, the minister was informed that the proposed Mansehra-Naran-Jhalkund-Chilas (MNJC) Motorway will span approximately 172 kilometres and will be executed in two phases. The first phase will connect Mansehra, Kaghan, Naran and Babusar Top, while the second phase will extend the motorway from Babusar Top to Chilas.
Officials said the motorway would be directly linked to China, significantly improving regional connectivity and supporting trade flows under Pakistan’s broader economic and transport development framework.
Addressing the meeting, Abdul Aleem Khan said the new motorway would provide the best and safest alternative route to the Karakoram Highway and reduce travel distance by nearly 120 kilometres on the northern corridor.
He added that the route would become the shortest and most efficient land connection between western China and the Arabian Sea.
The minister emphasized that the project would play a vital role in connecting western China with the ports of Karachi and Gwadar, enhancing Pakistan’s position as a regional transit and logistics hub.
According to the briefing, the motorway’s most significant engineering feature will be a 13.5-kilometre-long Babusar Tunnel, expected to become the longest tunnel in Pakistan upon completion. The motorway will initially be developed as a four-lane facility, with provisions for future expansion to six lanes to accommodate increasing traffic volumes.
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Officials further informed the meeting that modern rest areas would be established every 25 to 30 kilometres, while dedicated trucking terminals would be developed along both sides of the motorway to facilitate freight movement and commercial transport operations.
Abdul Aleem Khan described the project as a potential “game changer” for the sustainable development of Gwadar Port, saying the motorway would strengthen economic integration, improve year-round connectivity, and unlock new opportunities for trade, tourism and investment across Pakistan’s northern and western regions.
The federal secretary for communications and the NHA chairman also briefed the minister on key technical, financial, and implementation aspects of the project during the meeting
