Govt Plans New Motorways and Hotels to Attract Religious Tourism

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan chaired a meeting on Wednesday to approve major motorway upgrades and initiatives to promote religious tourism in Pakistan, reported 24NewsHD.

Key decisions include:

• Expansion of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway from two lanes to three, with construction starting soon.
• Acceleration of Sialkot-Kharian and Islamabad motorway expansions to three lanes.
• Development of the Sialkot-Rawalpindi motorway with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO), reducing the Lahore-Islamabad distance by 100 km and saving approximately one hour of travel.
• Construction of secure three-lane motorways connecting Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib to facilitate Sikh pilgrim access from India and the global diaspora.

The minister also emphasized infrastructure upgrades to support tourism, including three- to five-star hotels, shopping malls, and other amenities, aiming to attract foreign investment and strengthen Pakistan’s international image.

NHA has been instructed to organize roadshows in Europe, Britain, Canada, and the U.S. to promote investment opportunities.

“These upgrades will reduce congestion, meet future travel demands, and improve connectivity between major cities,” Abdul Aleem Khan said, underlining the government’s focus on linking transportation improvements with commercial and tourism growth.