The latest Sialkot Kharian Motorway update is that the 69-kilometre Sialkot (Sambrial)–Kharian Motorway (M-12) is still far behind schedule, with only 20 percent of the work finished, according to the federal government in information shared with the Punjab government. The Rs89.739 billion six-lane project was launched in October 2022 and was first meant to open in September 2024. That deadline has since been moved to February 2028, people familiar with the matter said, depending on financing and land acquisition.
Why the Sialkot-Kharian Motorway slipped
A shortage of funds and slow processing of land-acquisition gazette notifications by the district administrations of Sialkot and Gujrat have held up building, those familiar with the file said. The Prime Minister’s Office has flagged faster land acquisition as essential if the motorway is to be finished, and has recommended that the prime minister ask Punjab’s chief secretary to push the process.
On the money side, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC)—the federal cabinet body that clears major economic decisions—approved sovereign guarantees worth Rs27.62 billion in August 2026 to help the project reach financial close. Construction restarted in February 2026 and is now said to be moving at full pace, even as overall physical progress remains at one-fifth.
What the route will include
Once built, the motorway is meant to improve road links between Sialkot and Kharian. The alignment covers about 69 kilometres and includes a 1,043-metre bridge over the River Chenab. Officials and people tracking the file still treat February 2028 as the revised finish date, but only if funding and land work keep moving.
This Sialkot Kharian Motorway update matters for exporters, travellers and freight users who expected the M-12 corridor years earlier. Until land notices and financing are settled, the federal and Punjab governments will keep sharing the burden of keeping the site active while the calendar slips.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- October 2022: The Rs89.739 billion Sialkot (Sambrial)–Kharian Motorway (M-12) is launched.
- September 2024: Original completion deadline for the 69km project.
- February 2026: Construction activities resume and pick up pace.
- August 2026: The ECC approves Rs27.62 billion in sovereign guarantees for financial close.
- Current status: Only 20% of work is complete; revised completion target is February 2028, subject to financing and land acquisition.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sialkot se Kharian tak jo naya motorway ban raha hai, us ka sirf bees percent kaam hua hai. Pehle ye September 2024 tak khatam hona tha, ab naya target February 2028 hai. Paisay ki kami aur zameen ke kaagazaton mein deri ki wajah se project peeche chal raha hai. Jab tak ye ready nahi hota, Sialkot–Kharian travel aur maal ki rawangi purani roads par hi depend karegi.
