09/09/2026
The federal government has identified seven roads spanning 464 kilometres across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) for federalisation under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s tourism initiative, with the routes to be constructed, widened, rehabilitated and maintained by the federal authorities to improve connectivity and promote tourism in the mountainous region.
An official of the National Highway Authority (NHA) told Dawn that Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan had proposed to the GB government that seven key roads across the region be handed over to the Centre under PM’s tourism initiative. The seven roads identified include the 54km Astore-Chilim Chowki Road, 31km Deosai-Skardu Road, 100km Skardu-Khaplu Road, 17km Skardu (Thorgu)-Shigar Road and the 36km Karakoram Highway-Naltar to Satrangi Lake Road.