Aleem Khan Greenlights Three-Lane Motorway Standards and ‘Guru Nanak Expressway’.

Pakistan is embarking on a major transformation of its highway network, as the National Highway Authority (NHA) has approved the expansion of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway into a modern three-lane facility. Under the directive of Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, the government has established a new national standard: no future motorway will be constructed with fewer than three lanes on each side, ensuring a minimum six-lane configuration for all new projects.

The “Sialkot-Rawalpindi” Corridor

The centerpiece of this infrastructure push is the expedited construction of the Sialkot-Rawalpindi Motorway link:

• Shorter Travel Times: This vital link—consisting of the M-11, M-12, and M-13—will reduce the travel distance between Lahore and Islamabad by approximately 100 kilometers.
• Efficiency: Commuters are expected to save at least one full hour of travel time while significantly easing the traffic burden on the aging M-2 motorway.
• Industrial Synergy: The new corridor will improve logistics for export-driven hubs like Sialkot, Gujrat, and Gujranwala.

The “Guru Nanak Expressway” & Religious Tourism

The project doubles as a strategic pillar for the country’s “Religious Tourism” roadmap:

• Sacred Connectivity: The newly dubbed “Guru Nanak Expressway” will directly link the holy sites of Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib to the national motorway network.
• World-Class Facilities: Plans include high-standard safety fencing, premium rest areas, and modern shopping malls. To cater to the global Sikh diaspora, the government envisions the development of 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star hotels near these spiritual hubs.
• Global Investment Roadshows: To fund this vision, Minister Aleem Khan has directed the NHA to organize international investment roadshows in the UK, USA, and Canada, inviting overseas communities to invest in a “soft-image” Pakistan.