Sukkur Hyderabad Motorway M-6: Work to Start in November 2026, Plus 5 Other Road Plans

Construction of the Sukkur to Hyderabad motorway, the M-6, is to begin next month, in November 2026, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said in Lahore on 24 October 2026. He also said the National Highway Authority (NHA) is raising its revenue from Rs 66 billion to Rs 160 billion and capping its own running costs at Rs 50 billion.

We read the government's press release on the speech, issued by the Press Information Department (PID) on 24 October. The minister was speaking to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He named six road projects in all, from the M-6 in Sindh to a planned Sambrial to Kharian motorway that he said would cut about 100 km off the Lahore to Rawalpindi drive. Here is what was said, what it means, and what is still only a plan.

The M-6 Sukkur to Hyderabad motorway is due to start in November 2026

The press release says work on the motorway to Karachi will begin "next month", which is November 2026, with three approved sections. It says this will give high speed road access straight to Karachi Port. No start date, contractor or cost was given.

The wording needs care. The release's sub-heading calls it the Sukkur Hyderabad Motorway. Its main text calls it the Sukkur-Karachi Motorway. The M-6 is the planned Sukkur to Hyderabad link, and Hyderabad is already joined to Karachi by the M-9. So both names describe the same missing stretch from the Sindh side. We report it as the M-6 because that is the part not yet built.

The M-6 matters because it is the gap in a motorway run from Peshawar to Karachi. Today, traffic between Sukkur and Hyderabad uses the National Highway, the N-5, or the Indus Highway. Funding has been moving too. At the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, the government reported that the OPEC Fund had approved a first tranche for the M6 motorway, with the loan agreement still pending.

Six road projects were named, from Sindh to Kaghan

The minister listed six projects. They range from work already under way, such as the Faisalabad Motorway expansion, to ideas still at the planning stage, such as extending motorways beyond Kaghan and Naran. Only the M-6 was given a start month.

The Kaghan and Naran idea is not new. Earlier in October, NHA was told to study a 123 km Mansehra to Naran motorway. The release gives no new detail on it.

NHA revenue is rising to Rs 160 billion and costs are capped at Rs 50 billion

The minister said NHA's revenue is being raised from Rs 66 billion to Rs 160 billion, and its administrative expenses are capped at Rs 50 billion. He said the extra money will go to building roads rather than running costs.

Most of NHA's own money comes from tolls on motorways and highways, so a revenue rise of that size usually means drivers pay more. The release does not say how the Rs 160 billion will be reached or over what period, and current motorway toll rates have not changed.

Two more figures came with the speech. The minister said 66 major projects needing Rs 3 trillion of investment are being given priority. He also said 70 per cent of total revenue is being put into infrastructure in Balochistan, with the N-25 highway a major focus. The release does not explain how that share is worked out, so treat it as the minister's statement rather than an audited figure.

What this means for drivers and transporters right now

Nothing changes on the road today. No route has closed, no toll has changed, and no new motorway has opened. The M-6 start is a plan for November 2026, and the Sambrial to Kharian road has no date at all.

Transporters did get one practical promise. The minister told NHA and the Motorway Police to hold regular joint meetings with the Lahore Chamber's leaders to sort out operational problems. He also proposed a focal person in the Ministry of Communications for the business community. He warned against over-speeding on motorways and highways.

1. If you drive between Sukkur and Hyderabad, keep planning on the N-5 or the Indus Highway for now.
2. Watch for an NHA or ministry notice naming the M-6 contractor and the groundbreaking date in November.
3. If you run trucks, raise problems through your chamber, which now has a direct line to NHA and the Motorway Police.
4. Check toll rates before long trips, because NHA's revenue target suggests tolls will keep rising.

Common questions

When will work on the Sukkur Hyderabad motorway start?

The communications minister said on 24 October 2026 that work will begin next month, so November 2026. No exact date or groundbreaking ceremony was announced.

Is the M-6 the same as the Sukkur Karachi motorway?

The press release uses both names. The new road is the Sukkur to Hyderabad stretch, the M-6. Hyderabad already connects to Karachi on the M-9.

How much distance will the Sambrial Kharian motorway save?

The minister said it will cut the Lahore to Rawalpindi distance by about 100 km and save more than an hour. He gave no start date or cost.

Will motorway tolls go up?

Nothing was announced on tolls on 24 October. But NHA plans to raise revenue from Rs 66 billion to Rs 160 billion, and tolls are its main income, so further rises are likely.

Is the Lodhran Expressway open?

Not yet. The minister said construction will soon be completed using NHA's internal resources. No opening date was given.

Who announced these projects?

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 24 October 2026. PID issued the release the same day.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 24 October 2026. Every project, figure and quote comes from PID press release No. 382 of 24 October 2026, which we read on the PID website that day. The M-6 funding status comes from our earlier report on the Bangkok meetings. We could not open NHA's own website, which returned a security challenge, so we could not check whether NHA has published a tender, contractor or cost for the M-6. The release names the road as both the Sukkur Hyderabad and the Sukkur-Karachi motorway, and we have said so above rather than choose one silently.