The long-delayed Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) has received a major funding push after Pakistan signed agreements with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for $475 million in financing.
Islamabad – Pakistan has taken a key step forward on one of its most awaited road projects. On Tuesday, the government and the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed loan agreements worth around $603 million in total. Of this amount, $475 million will go directly toward building the 306-kilometer M-6 motorway between Sukkur and Hyderabad in Sindh province.
This six-lane highway fills the last major gap in Pakistan’s north-south motorway chain, linking Karachi in the south to Peshawar in the north. For years, the absence of this section has forced traffic onto slower, congested routes, raising travel times and costs for both people and goods.
The full project carries a price tag of $1.7 billion. The new IsDB funding removes the main financial roadblock that held up work for a long time. Earlier reports from October 2025 noted the bank’s initial approval of the $475 million loan, and the recent signing in Islamabad marks the formal commitment.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema held talks with an IsDB team led by Vice President Dr. Rami Ahmad before the documents were signed. On the Pakistani side, Secretary Economic Affairs Division Muhammad Humair Karim put pen to paper alongside the IsDB representative.
Once finished, the M-6 will include:
- 15 interchanges
- 89 bridges
- 243 underpasses
These features aim to handle heavy passenger and freight traffic more safely and quickly. The motorway forms part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) eastern alignment and should cut travel time across Sindh while lifting trade and business in the region.
Construction is now set to pick up speed in the coming months, with some sources pointing to a possible start in April 2026 once land issues in Sindh are cleared.
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This deal comes as part of broader IsDB support for Pakistan, which also covers poverty reduction for flood-hit families and education programs in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The M-6 project stands out as a priority infrastructure effort, watched closely for its role in improving national connectivity and economic flow from Karachi to the northern areas.
