M6 Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway Secures $705 Million for Three Sections

The M6 Motorway Pakistan has finally secured the money it needs. Planning Secretary Dr Tahir Noor told the Senate Standing Committee on Planning on 12 October 2026 that $705 million in foreign financing is now available for Sections III, IV and V of the long-delayed project (Dawn). Work can begin within months, he said.

The announcement ended years of uncertainty for the missing motorway link between Sukkur and Hyderabad. The committee, chaired by Senator Quratulain Marri, was told that the financing package comes from two international lenders.

The M6 will connect the M-5 motorway at Sukkur with the M-9 toward Karachi, completing a missing stretch of roughly 306 kilometres. It is divided into five sections, and the project has been under consideration since 2017.

For commuters and freight operators in Sindh, the road cannot come soon enough. The existing national highway between Sukkur and Hyderabad is congested, accident-prone and slow.

Work on the long-delayed project can begin within months, officials told a Senate panel.

How the $705 million financing was secured

The Senate committee briefing

Dr Tahir Noor briefed the Senate panel on the latest position. He confirmed that the Islamic Development Bank will provide $475 million for Sections IV and V, while the OPEC Fund will contribute $230 million for Section III.

Committee members welcomed the development but pressed officials on timelines. They wanted firm dates, not fresh promises, after nearly a decade of delays.

Senator Marri reminded officials that the committee had heard similar assurances before. This time, she said, the panel would track the bid evaluation and award dates on a monthly basis.

Breaking down the package

The $705 million covers three of the five sections. Sections I and II will be built through a public-private partnership, with the concession award targeted for February 2027.

The Asian Development Bank is acting as transaction adviser for the PPP sections. Officials said the two-track approach keeps the whole corridor moving forward.

Why the M6 Motorway Pakistan matters

The missing link

The M6 is the missing link in Pakistan's north-south motorway network. Once complete, travellers will be able to drive on motorway from Peshawar to Karachi without long detours.

Freight traffic between the port city and upcountry will move faster and cheaper. Transporters have demanded this road for years, and the current route costs them time and fuel.

At present, traffic between Sukkur and Hyderabad crawls along the old national highway. Accidents are frequent, and truckers lose hours to congestion and poor road conditions.

Section III in focus

The National Highway Authority issued a procurement notice for Section III on 25 June 2026. The section runs from Nawabshah to Naushahro Feroz and spans about 64.61 kilometres.

Bids for Sections III and IV are currently under evaluation, a process expected to take around three months. Bids for Section V are expected to open in October 2026.

When construction will begin

Evaluation underway

Officials told the committee that bid evaluation for Sections III and IV is in progress. The process is expected to wrap up in about three months.

For Section V, bid documents are ready and the bidding process is expected to open during October 2026. Contractors across the region are watching the process closely.

Contract awards expected by year end

Contract awards for Sections III, IV and V are expected in November and December 2026. If the schedule holds, mobilisation on site could follow soon after.

The NHA will act as the executing agency for the three sections. Officials said the authority has the capacity to supervise all three contracts at once.

Once contracts are awarded, contractors will set up site camps and move machinery. Land acquisition and utility shifting for the three sections are already at an advanced stage, officials said.

PPP sections on a separate track

Sections I and II will follow the public-private partnership route. The concession award is targeted for February 2027, with the ADB guiding the transaction.

Officials said investor interest in the PPP sections remains strong. A successful award would keep the entire 306-kilometre corridor on schedule.

The ADB's role as transaction adviser is meant to attract credible bidders. Officials expressed confidence that the February 2027 target for the concession award is realistic.

The long road to this point

A project stuck since 2017

The M6 has been under consideration since 2017. It has missed several announced timelines, and each delay added to the cost and the frustration.

Funding gaps were the main reason for the hold-up. The project needs both foreign loans and local rupee cover, and the rupee portion has been hard to secure.

Several announcements of imminent groundbreaking came and went over the years. Each missed deadline eroded confidence among contractors and lenders alike.

The PSDP funding squeeze

The financing news came against a tight fiscal backdrop (The Nation). There are 98 foreign-funded projects in the Public Sector Development Programme competing for limited rupee cover.

The Economic Affairs Division proposed Rs425 billion for rupee cover, but the National Economic Council allocated only Rs255 billion. The shortfall threatens many projects, which makes the secured M6 funding more significant.

What success would look like

If the current schedule holds, the M6 could transform travel in Sindh within a few years. Journey times between Sukkur and Hyderabad would fall sharply.

Businesses along the route expect new economic activity once construction starts. Land values near interchanges typically rise, and local employment gets a boost during the building phase.

Local communities along the alignment have waited years for the economic spillover. Construction jobs and roadside businesses could bring the first visible benefits.

For now, the Senate committee will keep watching. Members made it clear that this time, they expect action rather than announcements.

Frequently asked questions

What is the M6 Motorway Pakistan?

The M6 Motorway Pakistan is the planned motorway between Sukkur and Hyderabad in Sindh, covering about 306 kilometres. It will link the M-5 motorway at Sukkur with the M-9 toward Karachi. The project is divided into five sections.

How much financing has been secured?

A total of $705 million in foreign financing is now available for Sections III, IV and V. The Islamic Development Bank is providing $475 million for Sections IV and V, and the OPEC Fund is providing $230 million for Section III. Planning Secretary Dr Tahir Noor confirmed the figures to a Senate committee on 12 October 2026.

When will construction begin?

Officials said work can begin within months. Contract awards for the three sections are expected in November and December 2026. Sections I and II will follow a separate public-private partnership route, with the concession award targeted for February 2027.

Who is building the motorway?

The National Highway Authority is the executing agency for Sections III, IV and V. Sections I and II will be developed through a public-private partnership. The Asian Development Bank is acting as transaction adviser for the PPP sections.

Why has the M6 been delayed for so long?

The project has been under consideration since 2017 and has missed several announced timelines. Funding gaps were the main hurdle, especially the shortage of local rupee cover for foreign-funded projects. The newly secured $705 million financing removes the biggest obstacle for three of the five sections.