White elephant

This refers to the news report ‘Wakeup call’ (August 2, 2022). The author’s statement that the Lahore-Islamabad motorway generates income to fund more roads and that the network of motorways has reduced travelling time, is incorrect, if tested on the scale of economic (not financial) cost-benefit analysis. It is neither money well spent, nor progress.

The Lahore-Islamabad motorway increases distance as every vehicle that uses this motorway traverses extra kilometres and consumes more fuel. Motorways have been built by foreign contractors with borrowed money and their foreign exchange component is very high. Pakistan should not waste money on motorways that benefit only a few.

Abdul Majeed

Islamabad