The Peshawar High Court on 9 May held a hearing on repair, restoration, and security failures along the Indus Highway. Judges expressed concern that southern districts suffer daily accidents because authorities have not completed infrastructure work and continue to allow overloaded vehicles.
Chief Justice S.M. Atiq Shah and Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan oversaw the proceedings. The Advocate General, a National Highway Authority member, the Kohat commissioner’s focal person, the Deputy Attorney General, and the petitioner’s counsel all appeared in court.
The Chief Justice sharply questioned delays in completing the Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan section. He noted that the project should have finished in two years and warned that accidents continue to claim lives every day. He described the situation in the southern districts as “burning” under these conditions.
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Funding shortages and project delays
During the hearing, the NHA member explained that the federal government had not released the full funding. The authority received 1.5bn rupees initially and an additional 6bn rupees later, yet the project requires 9.8bn rupees to finish. He admitted that the work is proceeding slowly while traffic pressure on restored sections has increased.
Chief Justice Shah reminded the NHA that its general manager had previously claimed 80 percent of the work was complete. The NHA representative said officials now aim to finish the remaining portion on a priority basis. He also highlighted that deteriorating infrastructure and driver negligence contribute to repeated accidents.
The court instructed the Secretary Communication and the Secretary Planning to submit a funding report within fourteen days. Additionally, the NHA must provide a complete restoration plan with video evidence at the next hearing. Chief Justice Shah emphasized that during his visit, he observed no security presence along the highway.
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Security challenges and enforcement gaps
The NHA member reported that the authority lacks funds to deploy and train police personnel. The Kohat commissioner’s focal person added that district police officers and deputy commissioners had submitted their reports. He told the court that accident victims’ bodies are collected almost every day, underlining the urgency of proper security measures.
He requested patrolling vehicles and extra staff to maintain order. Only one weight-station currently operates for trucks travelling from Karachi to Peshawar. He also mentioned that around 300,000 tons of excess weight move along the highway each month, and fines of 5,000 rupees generate roughly 50mn rupees but fail to deter violators.
The commissioner suggested installing signboards, reducing excess U-turns, and instructing Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan to stop sending overloaded vehicles to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He recommended establishing additional weight-check stations on GT Road, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, and Hyderabad.
Truck overloading, regulatory measures
Chief Justice Shah inquired about the number of weight stations at the Indus Highway. The NHA replied that one exists in Kohat along with a mobile station. Trucks from Port Qasim frequently carry excessive loads. The Chief Justice noted that a 5,000-rupee fine hardly changes driver behaviour and suggested that officials force violators to offload excess cargo to understand the consequences.
The NHA member added that the Ministry of Communications plans meetings and legislation to increase fines. The Kohat commissioner requested that provinces prevent overloaded trucks from entering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chief Justice Shah said the court could instruct the NHA to enforce checks at all provincial entry points.
The bench ordered the NHA to submit a report within fourteen days on providing mobile weighing machines. The Advocate General reported that authorities deployed 150 police personnel along the highway for security. The court directed all relevant departments to submit security reports within fourteen days.
Chief Justice Shah also instructed authorities to install modern monitoring equipment along the Indus Highway to improve surveillance. He emphasized that the NHA must submit a comprehensive report covering restoration progress, security arrangements, weight control, and future planning within fourteen days. The court then adjourned the hearing.
