Sukkur-Hyd Motorway cost 'triples in six years'

The cost of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway tripled in six years mainly because of mismanagement and inordinate delays by the federal government, the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development was informed on Thursday.

The committee, which met here with its chairperson Quratul Ain Marri in the chair, took note of the issues facing the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), after it was informed that 200 lower-level staff were recruited in the university without merit.

The meeting was attended by Planning and Development Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra, PIDE Vice-Chancellor Dr Nadeem ul Haque and relevant officials. The chair expressed her displeasure at the absence of Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The committee was informed that the cost of Sukkur-Hyderabad (M6) Motorway had risen by more than Rs300 billion because of mismanagement of its affairs. Officials said the cost increased from Rs175 billion in 2018 to Rs309 billion by 2022, and it now exceeds Rs500 billion.

The planning secretary said that M6 Motorway would be built under the public-private partnership. Committee member Jam Saifullah said that the project should have been made part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, Sumra said that China had not yet given its consent in this regard.

PIDE Vice-Chancellor Dr Nadeem-ul-Haq gave a briefing on his institute. He revealed that over 200 lower-level staff were recruited on "recommendations", while out of the total strength of 50 researchers, only 10 were working at present.

"These are not recent recruitments," Haq said. "We don't have even our own building, rather we're operating out of the Quaid-e-Azam University," he added. The committee sought details about PIDE employees within two weeks.