Rawalpindi Division

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The feasibility study for Phase-II of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has been completed, with NESPAK identifying the expansion of the existing M-2 motorway corridor between Thallian and Hakla Interchange as the most feasible and least expensive of three proposed options.
Under the preferred alignment, the existing motorway section from Thallian to Hakla Interchange, which forms part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor route, would be widened from three lanes to five lanes in each direction.
The proposed widening would cover approximately 15.3 kilometres and is estimated to cost around Rs 9 billion, significantly lower than the two alternative alignments examined during the feasibility process.
The second option proposes construction of an additional 19.5 kilometre route at an estimated cost of Rs18 billion, while the third option involves a 26.5 kilometre alignment on the western side of the motorway with a projected cost of around Rs 24 billion.
The assessment therefore places the first option at a clear cost advantage, while also allowing planners to use an existing major transport corridor instead of constructing an entirely new route.
The completion of the feasibility study represents an important step towards determining the future extension of the Rawalpindi Ring Road and improving connectivity between Thallian and Hakla. However, the preferred option will still require approval from the relevant authorities before implementation can begin.
Meanwhile, substantial progress has already been made on Phase-I of the project, which stretches approximately 38.3 kilometres from GT Road at Banth Mor to Thallian Interchange.
The main carriageway of Phase-I has largely been completed, while four of its five interchanges — Banth, Chakbeli Khan, Adiala and Chakri — have also been completed.
Work is continuing on the fifth interchange at Thallian after its design was expanded to provide broader connectivity. Despite the remaining work at the interchange, the Ring Road has already been connected with the motorway network.
Construction of toll plazas and installation of the tolling system are now among the major outstanding components of Phase-I.
Once the remaining toll-related infrastructure is completed, the project is expected to be transferred from the Project Management Unit to the Punjab Ring Road Authority, which will assume responsibility for its operation and management.
The Ring Road project has faced several revisions to its completion and inauguration schedule. August 14, 2026, had most recently been indicated as the expected inauguration date, but the opening did not take place because the tolling infrastructure had not yet been completed.
A service area established along the Ring Road, which had previously attracted controversy, has also been removed from the project route.
The proposed Phase-II extension is considered important for strengthening regional road connectivity by providing a more efficient link between the completed Ring Road corridor and the Hakla Interchange on the motorway network.
If the Rs 9 billion widening option receives final approval, the project would add two lanes in each direction along the 15.3 kilometre Thallian/Hakla section, potentially increasing traffic capacity while avoiding the substantially higher costs associated with constructing the two alternative routes.
The final alignment, funding mechanism and implementation schedule will depend on subsequent government approvals and decisions by the relevant project authorities.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has missed its sixth completion deadline, with the long awaited corridor still not ready for inauguration despite August 14 having been set as the latest target date.
Main construction work has largely been completed along the 38.3 kilometre route stretching from Banth Mor on GT Road to the Thallian Interchange. However, the project cannot become fully operational until the remaining toll booths and toll collection system are completed.
According to the latest project status, the Project Management Unit will formally hand over the road to the Punjab Ring Road Authority once the outstanding tolling infrastructure is finished.
Of the five planned interchanges, four have already been completed at Banth, Chakbeli Khan, Adiala and Chakri.
Work at the Thallian Interchange, however, remains incomplete after authorities decided to develop it as a broader interchange facility. Despite the unfinished work at Thallian, the Ring Road has already been connected with the motorway network.
The project’s total cost has now reached approximately Rs47 billion, translating into an average cost of around Rs 1.22 billion per kilometre.
The latest delay has primarily been attributed to incomplete tolling infrastructure rather than the main road construction. Once toll plazas and the associated tolling system are completed, the project is expected to be transferred to the Punjab Ring Road Authority for operation.
The Ring Road is considered a major transport infrastructure project for Rawalpindi, designed to divert through-traffic away from congested urban roads and improve connectivity between GT Road, major suburban areas and the motorway network.
Authorities have also removed a controversial service area that had earlier been established along the Ring Road corridor.
With most civil works completed, the project has now entered its final operational-preparation phase, but the missed August 14 deadline has further extended the wait for the road’s formal opening.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
Rawalpindi city is set to have two mayors and four deputy mayors after being divided into two municipal towns under the finalized local government delimitation ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
The final delimitation notification has been issued after objections to the proposed boundaries were rejected, formally establishing Municipal Rawal Town and Municipal Potohar Town.
Under the new structure, Rawal Town will comprise 41 union councils, compared with 46 previously, while Potohar Town will have 33, down from 36.
Murree Road will serve as the boundary between the two municipal towns. Areas towards Raja Bazaar will fall within Rawal Town, while Dhoke Khabba and Sadiqabad will become part of Potohar Town.
The changes form part of a broader restructuring of local government across Rawalpindi district. The Rawalpindi District Council has been dissolved and its areas redistributed among six tehsil councils. Two new tehsil councils—Saddar and Cantt—and a new municipal committee at Daultala have also been created.
Rawalpindi city will consequently be administered through four local government areas: Rawal Town, Potohar Town, Tehsil Council Saddar and Tehsil Council Cantt.
Saddar Tehsil Council will comprise 22 union councils and Cantt Tehsil Council 29. The total number of union councils across these four Rawalpindi areas will reach 125, compared with 82 previously.
At the district level, Rawalpindi will now have 17 local government bodies, comprising two municipal towns, five municipal committees, six tehsil councils and four cantonment boards.
The municipal committees include Gujar Khan with six union councils, Taxila with five, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan with four each, and Daultala with two.
The six tehsil councils are Gujar Khan with 36 union councils, Kahuta with 12, Kallar Syedan and Taxila with 13 each, Saddar with 22 and Cantt with 29.
Following Murree’s elevation as a separate district, Rawalpindi district now has four cantonment boards—Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah and Taxila—compared with five previously.
The final delimitation was approved by the three-member Delimitation Authority comprising District Election Commissioner-I Sajid Rathore, District Election Commissioner-II Safia Akbar and Local Government Director Shazia Mumtaz, clearing the administrative framework for the forthcoming local government elections.