The Rawalpindi Ring Road project remains incomplete five years after its launch, with delays and revisions pushing its estimated cost to more than Rs. 53 billion from an initial Rs. 22.82 billion.
The 38.3-kilometer, six-lane Ring Road project was awarded in March 2022. Its cost has more than doubled, with an additional expenditure of around Rs. 30 billion reportedly incurred due to repeated delays and revisions.
The Punjab government has announced several completion deadlines and twice made preparations for the project’s inauguration. Sources in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) said around 90 percent of the work has now been completed and construction is progressing rapidly.
The prolonged delay has raised concerns over the project’s rising cost and its impact on the national exchequer, particularly as the Ring Road is considered the largest infrastructure project in Rawalpindi’s history.
Meanwhile, an inquiry into alleged changes to the project’s original design was launched in July. Additional Chief Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar sought the complete project record, while disputes over No Objection Certificates (NOCs), approved layouts, access roads and other clearances have also reached the courts.
Questions over changes to the Ring Road’s design first emerged in 2022 during the PTI government’s tenure. The controversy later led to the transfer of then Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Mehmood, Deputy Commissioner Anwar-ul-Haq and several other officials.
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