Work on flood-hit N-95 Kalam Road to begin within 90 days: NA told

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2026) Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Engineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that reconstruction work on the flood-affected N-95 Kalam Road in Swat would begin within the next 90 days.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by MNA Amjad Ali Khan regarding delays in the reconstruction of the road damaged during the devastating 2022 floods, the parliamentary secretary said the 133-kilometre Chakdara-Kalam Road, commonly known as N-95, had suffered severe damage in the floods, particularly a six-kilometre stretch.

He acknowledged that commuters had been facing difficulties for a long time due to the damaged portion of the road.

Engineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor said the government had continued to provide maintenance funds to the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) across different seasons to keep the route functional.

He informed the House that Rs 415 million had already been approved for the project following discussions in Parliament and efforts by the concerned lawmakers. He said an additional Rs 276 million had also been allocated, while another Rs 950 million had been proposed in the upcoming budget.

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The parliamentary secretary said all procedural requirements, including site visits, technical discussions and committee reviews, had almost been completed and the project was now at the final stage.

Responding to a supplementary question, he said the tender process for the road project had initially been initiated in 2022, but delays occurred due to internal reforms and revision of standard operating procedures within the National Highway Authority (NHA).

He said the authority had reviewed procurement and technical evaluation procedures following audit observations on cost escalations across various projects.

The parliamentary secretary said new technical and evaluation committees had been constituted to improve transparency and prevent unnecessary increases in project costs.

He clarified that the delay was not specific to the N-95 project alone but part of broader reforms introduced across NHA projects.

He further said that maintenance funds alone would not fully resolve the issue, as the damaged six-kilometre portion required a complete reconstruction project.

APP/tsw-zah