ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s public-private partnership authority gave its go-ahead Wednesday for the National Highway Authority (NHA) to pursue federal approvals for the Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway, clearing the way for what officials call a strategically important new transport corridor.
The decision came during the board meeting of the Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A), chaired by Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on privatisation and chairman of the Privatisation Commission.
Under the board’s decision, the national highway authority can now route the M-13 motorway proposal through the Ministry of Communications to secure required federal sign-offs under the P3A Act of 2017. Board members said the financing structure, toll system, concession length and risk-sharing terms for the project will be worked out later, once it moves through the official transaction framework.
The board, which also includes the planning minister, privatisation secretary and private-sector representatives, said its review of the project was guided by transparency, value-for-money principles and sound risk allocation.
