Punjab Province

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The feasibility study for Phase-II of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has been completed, with NESPAK identifying the expansion of the existing M-2 motorway corridor between Thallian and Hakla Interchange as the most feasible and least expensive of three proposed options.
Under the preferred alignment, the existing motorway section from Thallian to Hakla Interchange, which forms part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor route, would be widened from three lanes to five lanes in each direction.
The proposed widening would cover approximately 15.3 kilometres and is estimated to cost around Rs 9 billion, significantly lower than the two alternative alignments examined during the feasibility process.
The second option proposes construction of an additional 19.5 kilometre route at an estimated cost of Rs18 billion, while the third option involves a 26.5 kilometre alignment on the western side of the motorway with a projected cost of around Rs 24 billion.
The assessment therefore places the first option at a clear cost advantage, while also allowing planners to use an existing major transport corridor instead of constructing an entirely new route.
The completion of the feasibility study represents an important step towards determining the future extension of the Rawalpindi Ring Road and improving connectivity between Thallian and Hakla. However, the preferred option will still require approval from the relevant authorities before implementation can begin.
Meanwhile, substantial progress has already been made on Phase-I of the project, which stretches approximately 38.3 kilometres from GT Road at Banth Mor to Thallian Interchange.
The main carriageway of Phase-I has largely been completed, while four of its five interchanges — Banth, Chakbeli Khan, Adiala and Chakri — have also been completed.
Work is continuing on the fifth interchange at Thallian after its design was expanded to provide broader connectivity. Despite the remaining work at the interchange, the Ring Road has already been connected with the motorway network.
Construction of toll plazas and installation of the tolling system are now among the major outstanding components of Phase-I.
Once the remaining toll-related infrastructure is completed, the project is expected to be transferred from the Project Management Unit to the Punjab Ring Road Authority, which will assume responsibility for its operation and management.
The Ring Road project has faced several revisions to its completion and inauguration schedule. August 14, 2026, had most recently been indicated as the expected inauguration date, but the opening did not take place because the tolling infrastructure had not yet been completed.
A service area established along the Ring Road, which had previously attracted controversy, has also been removed from the project route.
The proposed Phase-II extension is considered important for strengthening regional road connectivity by providing a more efficient link between the completed Ring Road corridor and the Hakla Interchange on the motorway network.
If the Rs 9 billion widening option receives final approval, the project would add two lanes in each direction along the 15.3 kilometre Thallian/Hakla section, potentially increasing traffic capacity while avoiding the substantially higher costs associated with constructing the two alternative routes.
The final alignment, funding mechanism and implementation schedule will depend on subsequent government approvals and decisions by the relevant project authorities.

Multan : ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has directed authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Multan Master Plan in order to manage the city’s rapidly growing population and expanding built-up areas. Under the plan, future residential, commercial and other development will be guided by established town planning principles.
The directive was issued during a meeting chaired by Punjab Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, where progress on ongoing development schemes in Multan, town planning matters and issues related to the Water and Sanitation Agency were reviewed in detail.
Additional Director General of the Multan Development Authority Ataul Haq Khokhar briefed the meeting on development projects being carried out by the MDA. Following the briefing, the housing secretary instructed officials to ensure implementation of the Multan Master Plan under all circumstances.
The Multan Development Authority is a key institution responsible for the city’s planned growth, development of new housing schemes and expansion of urban infrastructure. Its jurisdiction covers approximately 362 square kilometres. According to official information, the MDA has previously completed several residential and development schemes, including Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Lodhi Colony, New Qasimpur, Tughlaq Town and New Shah Shams.
The importance of implementing the Multan Master Plan has increased as the city continues to experience population growth and rising construction activity. Official records put Multan’s population at around 5.36 million, while long-term master planning for WASA has also been undertaken for the period from 2014 to 2040, covering improvements to existing water supply and sewerage systems as well as the extension of services to newly developed areas.
Under the Punjab government’s master land-use planning framework, master plans are intended to curb unplanned urban sprawl, regulate the allocation of land for residential, commercial and other uses, reduce traffic pressure, protect open spaces and identify future requirements for infrastructure and basic civic services.
Against this backdrop, effective implementation of the Multan Master Plan will require more than land-use mapping alone. It will also need to guide decisions related to new housing schemes, commercial construction, roads, traffic management, water supply, sewerage and other urban services so that the city’s expansion remains planned and does not contribute to worsening encroachments, congestion, infrastructure shortages and unregulated development.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the government to effectively incorporate recommendations from chambers of commerce, industrial associations and the wider business community into the formulation and implementation of the National Integrated Energy Plan 2027–2060.
The chamber said the long-term energy policy should be designed around the actual needs of industry, taking into account production costs, energy affordability and Pakistan’s export competitiveness.
LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol welcomed the approval of the high-level design of the National Integrated Energy Plan, describing it as an important step towards making Pakistan’s energy system more efficient, affordable, reliable and sustainable.
He said Pakistan’s economic growth, industrial expansion and export development require a coherent long-term energy policy that gives equal importance to the availability of electricity and other energy sources, their pricing and their financial impact on industry.
A major development on the plan came on August 18, when the Cabinet Committee on Energy, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved the high-level design report for the National Integrated Energy Plan 2027–2060.
Under the government’s framework, federal and provincial governments, along with other relevant stakeholders, are expected to be involved in the planning process.
The plan is primarily aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s energy security and improving economic competitiveness. It seeks to develop a strategy for supplying electricity and other forms of energy to industrial and domestic consumers at affordable rates.
The framework also envisages promoting low-carbon power generation, cleaner energy sources and energy systems capable of withstanding the growing impacts of climate change.