PESHAWAR: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi was briefed on Tuesday about the progress of the Peshawar Northern Bypass Project during a meeting held at the Governor House.
Member National Highway Authority (NHA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ashfaq Ahmed and Project Director Muhammad Ahtesham informed the governor that the 30 kilometer-long project, costing Rs27 billion, is a major infrastructure initiative aimed at improving traffic flow in Peshawar.
The officials said that structural work, including six bridges and the Nasir Bagh flyover, has been completed. It was stated that Package-I of the project is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Package-II is likely to be finalized by September 2026.
Officials informed that Rs23 billion has already been spent on the project, while an additional Rs4 billion is required for its completion. They pointed out that delays in the release of funds could hinder timely completion. It was also said that funds for power transmission lines have already been transferred to the relevant department.
The governor termed the Peshawar Northern Bypass a project of significant public importance and assured that he would take up the issue of fund release with the concerned authorities.He expressed concern over funding constraints in public welfare projects and emphasized that the timely completion of the bypass would provide major relief to the citizens of Peshawar as well as people across the province.
Meanwhile, the governor emphasized the critical role of accurate and reliable statistical data in effective policy-making, resource distribution, and sustainable development.He expressed these views while receiving a departmental briefing from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa office.
Chief Statistical Officer Muhammad Anwar briefed the governor on the functions and ongoing activities of the institution.The governor was informed that Pakistan’s first-ever digital population census was conducted in 2023, according to which the country’s total population stands at 241.5 million, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s population is recorded at 48.5 million.
The briefing also highlighted that the 7th Digital Agriculture Census was conducted in 2024 under the supervision of PBS, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approximately 48 million livestock.
