The Sindh Assembly, on Tuesday, criticized the federal government and the National Highway Authority (NHA) for the repeated increase in toll taxes on highways and motorways in Sindh, demanding an immediate reversal of the decision.
Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition benches unanimously adopted a resolution presented by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) legislator Heer Soho. They described the recent toll hikes over the past seven months as unfair to the people of Sindh.
The NHA implemented its latest toll tax hike on January 1, 2025, marking the third increase in seven months. This move aims to generate Rs. 102 billion in revenue this fiscal year, compared to Rs. 64 billion collected the previous year. However, this decision has caused significant discontent among lawmakers, who argue that it places an undue burden on citizens already struggling with inflation.
Soho highlighted that traveling from Karachi to Sukkur by car now costs over Rs. 2,500 in toll taxes. She criticized this as an additional financial burden on the public, particularly as the NHA’s notification did not explicitly mention highways and motorways in Sindh. She further remarked that the NHA should be renamed the Punjab Highway Authority, as it consistently neglects the deteriorating condition of roads in Sindh. She emphasized that the Karachi-Sukkur highway was the most neglected among all motorways and highways managed by the NHA.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon voiced his concerns, stating that Sindh has been subjected to repeated injustices. He attributed fatal accidents on highways to the poor condition of roads under NHA’s management. He also criticized the federal government for its inefficiency, pointing to the incomplete Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway project.
Memon demanded that the federal government allocate and release funds for this project as it does for infrastructure in other provinces. He also noted the insufficient deployment of Motorway Police in Sindh, contrasting it with their active presence elsewhere in the country.
MQM-P legislator Sabir Qaimkhani argued that toll taxes are meant to fund maintenance and provide public facilities, yet the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway lacks basic amenities and does not meet the standards of a proper motorway.
Other lawmakers, including PPP’s Khairun Nisa Mughal and Tanzeela Umm-i-Habiba, as well as MQM-P’s Muhammad Adil Siddiqui, expressed similar frustrations. They called for the immediate withdrawal of the toll tax hikes, asserting that the government should not impose higher taxes without ensuring adequate services for the public.
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