ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has invited contractors to prequalify for two sections of the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6), a major China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road project that will complete the country’s north-south motorway network.
According to official procurement notices issued Friday, the prequalification process covers Section 4 (Naushehro Feroz-Ranipur, 60.90 kilometers) and Section 5 (Ranipur-Sukkur, 59.88 kilometers) of the six-lane motorway.
As per the documents, Pakistan has applied for financing from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for construction of the M-6 and plans to use part of the proceeds to fund the two contracts. NHA said it intends to prequalify contractors and firms in line with IsDB procurement guidelines, with bidding expected to begin in March 2026.
Prequalification will be conducted under the IsDB Procurement Guidelines for Goods, Works and Related Services (April 2019, revised February 2023) and is open to bidders from eligible source countries, as defined by the bank’s rules. Applications must be submitted by January 26, 2026, according to the notices. Interested firms can obtain prequalification documents from NHA headquarters in Islamabad. The 306-kilometer Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway is the last missing link in Pakistan’s north-south motorway chain. Once completed, it is expected to significantly reduce travel time across Sindh province and improve freight movement between Gwadar Port and Karachi Port and inland industrial and trade hubs. The multibillion-rupee project is regarded as a critical component of CPEC’s transport and logistics framework, supporting Pakistan’s efforts to position itself as a regional trade and transit corridor linking South Asia, Central Asia and western China. –Agencies
