NHA Told to Study a 123 km Mansehra to Naran Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
On 8 October 2026 the communications minister ordered a feasibility study for a 123 km Mansehra to Naran motorway in KP. What was decided and what was not.
Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on 8 October 2026 told the National Highway Authority (NHA) to prepare a feasibility study for a 123 km Mansehra to Naran highway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, built as a model three-lane motorway project. It is a study order, not an approved project. No cost, route map or start date was announced.
The same NHA meeting in Islamabad set a two-month deadline for the Multan, Muzaffargarh and Mianwali highway, ordered safety barriers on the M-4 expansion between Pindi Bhattian and Faisalabad, and opened the Guru Nanak Expressway to foreign investment. We read the Press Information Department release on the meeting on 9 October 2026.
For anyone who drives to Naran in summer, the news is welcome. The road through the Kaghan valley is the main way in, and it is slow, narrow and often blocked by slides. But a feasibility study is the first of many steps, and nothing changes on the road this season.
The minister ordered a feasibility study, not construction
The NHA must study the 123 km Mansehra to Naran section and report on every aspect of building it to modern standards. The minister called it a proposed three-lane motorway that could help tourism and trade with China.
The release says the NHA gave a detailed presentation on the Mansehra, Naran, Jalkhand and Chilas highway project. The minister then told the authority to "thoroughly examine all aspects of the project" and prepare a "comprehensive and viable report".
A feasibility study answers basic questions. Can the road be built on this ground? What will it cost? How much traffic will use it? Will tolls pay for it? Only after those answers does a project go for approval, funding and tender. So nobody should expect bulldozers in the Kaghan valley soon.
The link to China matters. Chilas sits on the Karakoram Highway, so a better road from Mansehra through Naran and Jalkhand to Chilas would give a second route north, beside the Karakoram Highway through Besham and Dasu.
The same meeting set deadlines on four other roads
Besides Naran, the minister gave orders on the Guru Nanak Expressway, the Multan, Muzaffargarh and Mianwali highway, the M-4 motorway and the GT Road between Rawalpindi and Peshawar.
| Road | Decision on 8 October 2026 | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Mansehra to Naran, 123 km | Feasibility study for a model three-lane motorway | Not given |
| Guru Nanak Expressway | Opened to foreign investment | Not given |
| Multan, Muzaffargarh, Mianwali highway | Complete construction work | Within two months |
| M-4, Pindi Bhattian to Faisalabad | Safety barriers added to the expansion | Not given |
| GT Road, Rawalpindi to Peshawar | Ongoing work reviewed | Not given |
The two-month deadline on the Multan, Muzaffargarh and Mianwali road is the only firm date in the release. That points to early December 2026, if the NHA meets it.
The Guru Nanak Expressway is open to Sikh investors abroad
The minister said foreign investment will be sought for the Guru Nanak Expressway. He invited the Sikh community in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States to invest, and promised international construction standards.
He described it as a project of special religious, historical and spiritual importance for Sikhs. The release does not give the route, length, cost or investment model, so we cannot say yet where it starts and ends or how an investor would take part. Anyone approached with an "investment offer" in the project's name should wait for the NHA's own tender or notice.
New highways must now carry barriers, rest areas and green belts
The minister ordered "100 percent" safety features on every new and under-construction highway. He also asked for rest areas and washrooms on both sides of new roads, and made green belts a required part of every new highway and motorway.
These are instructions to the NHA, not a published standard. Still, they matter to drivers. A rest area on both sides means no illegal U-turn to reach a washroom, which is a common cause of crashes on long highways.
- Safety barriers will be part of the M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Faisalabad expansion.
- Rest areas and washrooms will be built on both sides of new highways.
- Green belts and planting will be part of every new highway plan.
- Ongoing projects must finish within their set deadlines.
What this means if you are driving north now
Nothing changes for travellers this year. The existing road to Naran stays as it is, so check road status before you leave, and plan around weather and slides as before.
The Naran valley road usually closes above Naran in winter, and slides can block it in any season. Before setting off, check road status for Naran, Swat and Chitral on the official KP and NHA channels. If you drive the motorways on the way, the Motorway Police helpline and status updates tell you whether a motorway is open or closed.
Tolls on the way north are also unchanged. The current motorway toll rates still apply, and nothing in this meeting touched them.
Our take: the Naran study is the most useful item in the release for ordinary travellers, but it is also the furthest from reality. The Multan road deadline is the one to watch, because it can be checked in December.
Common questions
Has the Mansehra to Naran motorway been approved?
No. On 8 October 2026 the communications minister only told the NHA to prepare a feasibility study. Approval, funding and construction would come later.
How long will the Mansehra to Naran road be?
About 123 km, according to the government release. The minister called it a proposed three-lane motorway.
When will construction start?
No date was given. A feasibility study has to finish first, and the release gave no deadline for it.
What is the Guru Nanak Expressway?
A road project the minister described as important to the Sikh community. It is now open to foreign investment, but the release did not give its route, length or cost.
Which road got a firm deadline?
The Multan, Muzaffargarh and Mianwali highway. The minister told the NHA to finish construction within two months of 8 October 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 9 October 2026. All decisions on this page come from Press Information Department release 90 of 8 October 2026 on the NHA meeting chaired by the Federal Minister for Communications. The NHA has not published a feasibility study, route map, cost or tender for the Mansehra to Naran road or the Guru Nanak Expressway. We will update this page when it does.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
