In a major infrastructure push to strengthen Pakistan’s regional connectivity, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has awarded contracts worth over Rs 282 billion to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for the dualisation and rehabilitation of critical sections of the 790-kilometre National Highway 25 (N-25), a strategic trade corridor linking Karachi to the Chaman border with Afghanistan.
According to official documents, the contracts cover the 278-km Karachi–Khuzdar and 187-km Kararo–Chaman segments of the highway. The entire project is scheduled for completion within two years.
Though not formally part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the N-25 upgrade is seen as vital to strengthening CPEC’s western route, facilitating trans-Afghan trade, and linking Pakistan’s deep-sea ports with its northern and western trade corridors.
Strategically, the N-25 plays a pivotal role in connecting Karachi and Gwadar ports to Balochistan’s interior and onward to Central Asia. The city of Khuzdar serves as a key junction, linking the N-25 with the M-8 Motorway, which runs west toward Gwadar Port, the flagship of CPEC.
The project is expected to transform Balochistan’s transport network, enhance logistics efficiency, and spur economic activity across underdeveloped regions.
According to Gwadar Pro, the project aligns with the new five-year “Action Plan” formulated after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing, which envisions Gwadar Port as a regional connectivity hub and a gateway for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Officials said the upgraded N-25 will serve as a backbone for Pakistan’s evolving trade routes, ensuring faster, safer, and more efficient movement of goods across borders.
