Annexure A
Sr Comments
No
OBJECTIONS BY PLANNING COMMISSION:
i. There are currently two national highways connecting D.I.Khan 
to Islamabad and Peshawar. One is Indus Highway which
connects Peshawar to D I Khan. Funds are allocated and work
is ongoing for its dualization. The second is CPEC Motorway
connecting Islamabad and Hazara through Hakla to D I Khan.
Hence a third national level Expressway Highway connecting
the same destinations would be extravagantly superfluous
within the current financial scenario.
• The comparison of existing links connecting
Replies
Peshawar DI Khan is designed to be a high-speed
motorway with controlled entry / exit facility. The
Indus highway N-55 is a national highway which is
rapidly being transformed into a rural-urban road
similar to national highway N-5 (GT Road).
Reduction in Travel time with road user safety is a
significant factor which matters and the instant
motorway targets the same in addition to provide
direct access to “No Go” areas / merge districts of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa connecting them to the
motorway network of the country. Likewise, Sukkur
Hyderabad motorway and other motorways of the
country also run parallel to national and local roads
with existing connectivity but the economic and
social benefits presented by a high-speed corridor
may not be comparable.
Islamabad or Peshawar with Hakla- DI khan
Motorway shows none to be viable in terms of travel
time. Peshawar DI Khan Motorway with its First exit
to DI Khan city Planned at KM 335 has been
conceived mainly to complement Southern and
Western regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ii. Proposed alignment /Route of the subject proposed Peshawar
to D I Khan Expressway is unnecessarily circuitous, long and
costly. The required funds for subject/ proposed Peshawar to D
l Khan Expressway are enormous, i.e. 450 billion. approx.
Annexure A
It is envisaged to be a “Game Changer” in view
of economic trade corridor for uplift of the
Merged western population of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. In addition, it will provide a
regional trade corridor for neighboring countries.
Multiple options to connect destinations were
explored in a desk study. Short comparative
statement of travel time is as below:
Travel
S. Length Time
Route alternative
No (KM)
Hour Min
Existing Route through Indus Highway
1 299 5 45
(N-55)
2 Via M1 – Hakla D.I Khan Motorway 438 4 00
Planned Peshawar - D.I Khan
3 Motorway 1st link to DI khan city at Km 335 2 45
335
Five (05) alignment options were presented to
provincial government officials and public
representatives of south western regions and merged
districts. The alignment option which was
considered to be the most feasible, viable and
maximum coverage of south western districts of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was selected. It may be noted
that D.I. Khan interchange on the northern side is at
Km 335. The additional length was to connect Indus
highway i.e. N55 on the southern side of D.I. Khan
at Qureshi More providing access to Punjab through
Darya Khan. The extended length also covers D.I.

iii. To point one first shocking anomaly, the consultants have failed
to consider that the opening from Peshawar is very close to the
existing Chamkani Interchange- i.e., barely 4.5 kilometers, is
unnecessarily long, is blocking the main entrance of game
changer investment of Peshawar Expo center, as well as
passing through and wasting valuable agriculture and
commercial property, all of which are without consideration of
ground realities and contrary to fundamental concept of
Expressway/ Motorway.
Annexure A
Khan – Zhob national highway N50 where
interchange has been provided. The concept is to
attract maximum regional traffic while covering
south western districts. The alignment is technically
viable with total length of 360km. Based on MRS KPK
2020, total cost of PKR 276 billion (including PKR 18.5
billion for land acquisition) is justified for 360km.
The interchange at N-5 for proposed Peshawar DI
Motorway presents bigger social and relocation issues.
The corridor along the N-5 in vicinity of Peshawar is
mostly occupied. Decision for placement of interchange
is based on value engineering and comparative matrix
of two parameters i.e. virgin land vs the existing
government properties of Tarnab Farm and Peshawar
Expo Center. After detailed discussion with concerned
officials, decision to safeguard all existing government
properties and Expo center was taken. Government
building are negotiated by providing the best fit fully
automated control exit system. Details are shown in
figure 1 (Enclosed).
It may be noted that main entrance of Peshawar Expo
center is neither blocked nor any disruption to ROW of
Peshawar Expo Center is implied. Furthermore,
Proposed motorway will provide a direct and
uninterrupted excess to expo center via M1 & N-5 which
will be an additional fast track connectivity and will
bypass the entrance using congested route of N-5 via
Chamkani Interchange.
 Annexure A

iv. The subject proposed Expressway is also denying its fullest Housing schemes of Jalozai and Peshawar Model town
usefulness and connectivity to the proposed gigantic housing are considered during design phase of proposed
schemes of Jalozai and Peshawar Model town. motorway.
Jalozai Housing scheme/Peshawar Model Town is
10km on Phandu road where a dedicated interchange
has been provided i.e. Phandu Road interchange. This
short stretch of road may be rehabilitated by provincial
government on need basis for smooth excess via
motorway.
v. The alignment of the proposed subject Expressway is Grand Trunk Road i.e. Nowshera to Peshawar section
pathetically disregarding any ingenious integration, is well integrated with proposed Peshawar DI Khan
improvement, widening and upgradation of the existing historic motorway through interchange at N-5 i.e. Peshawar-
Grand Trunk Road, especially the Nowshera to Peshawar Tarnab Interchange. Proposed Peshawar DI khan is
section. crossing said GT road via grade separation system. It
may be noted that improvement, widening and
upgradation of GT road is considered during design
phase and proposed Peshawar DI Khan motorway with
reference to its ROW. It will not cause any disruption in
future extension of N-5.
vi. For the commuters travelling from Peshawar the easiest route Refer to response at Serial (i) above.
is to use and travel via Indus highway and for the ones coming
from Islamabad and Punjab and Hazara shortest is via Hakla
CPEC Motorway.

PROPOSALS AND SUGGESTIONS BY PLANNING COMMISSION:

i. Much less amount of funds would be required if utilized and High speed road infrastructure presents a spine to all
invested in small dams, improved irrigation, agricultural and type of development. All required developments are
industrial development of the southern districts of KPK. The subsequent to the availability of good infrastructure
 Annexure A

ROI for that will be much higher and quicker, giving fast and which is the need of hour for the most deprive part of
enormous boost to local and national GDP. the province. Furthermore, it will be an economic
corridor not only for southwestern regions of KP but for
the entire region.
ii. The existing roads connecting various districts to Indus Current available roads may not serve the benefits of a
highway could be improved and widened with better and high-speed excess control facility. Improvement of
shorter alignment at much lesser cost and funds. lateral linkage to the main high-speed corridor will
follow. Current Indus highway and other lateral roads
need to be connected through a motorway system.
iii. Industrial zones and estates of the southern districts could be All the agricultural and industrial development will be a
expanded and provided with better infrastructure facilities with dream and this dream will not come true without a high-
fractional cost of subject project. speed linkage to the main high-speed national
motorway system. The instant project shall be
evaluated particularly for the deprived south western
regions of KP province. Moreover, sustainable
economic development and elimination of extremist
elements and terrorism could only be possible by
integrating the isolated population of the south western
region of KP and country in general.
iv. Much less funds would be required for setting up Solar parks Same as reply for iii above.
and gas/ oil fired power projects for utilizing the local mineral /
petroleum resources for power generation in southern districts
of KPK and thus providing cheaper energy supply for the future
industrial and agricultural development and cheaper
production.
v. There is another communication link of railway which is Resurrection of our railway industry needs no
currently dysfunctional and could be upgraded with little emphasis. All modes of transportation play a pivotal
expenditure for improving the transportation of people and role in development of country.
goods. Otherwise the same land can be used for construction
of additional Highway.
 Annexure A

vi. We should better consider the possibility of utilizing the All modes of transportation play a pivotal role in
naturally gifted facility of our waterways i.e., the Indus River development of country and needs to be explored.
system for connecting Peshawar to DI Khan and utilizing it for
goods transportation far more economically.
vii. As regards the connectivity of the newly merged districts of The comment has been addressed in replies given
erstwhile FATA, we should try to look into the possibility of above.
giving simultaneous road and rail connectivity linking all the
tribal districts from Bajaur to South Waziristan but the same
should pass through the centers of all the NMD and instead of
an expressway should be a normal highway with maximum
utilization, widening and improvement of the current available
roads.
 Annexure A

M-1

Peshawar DI Khan
Motorway

N-5
Peshawar
Expo Center

Peshawar-Tarnab N-5
Interchange

Figure -1 Peshawar Expo Center and Peshawar DI Khan Motorway