The bitter standoff over Sindh’s Rs. 180 billion cess on oil movement has done more than spark a fiscal dispute; it has exposed the deep flaws in Pakistan’s development model. What we are witnessing is not just a policy failure but the deliberate construction of a two-tier nation, divided by the very highways meant to unite it.

For decades, Islamabad’s planners have showcased “national connectivity” as the practical embodiment of their slogan, “Pakistan First.” In reality, they built an infrastructure that connects privilege to privilege. The real engines of the economy, the trucks, oil tankers, and drivers who keep Pakistan’s lifeblood moving, still begin their journeys on broken, uneven, and overcrowded roads, long neglected and choked with every kind of vehicle. These are the roads that never find space in government reports or political posters.

The motorways, long hailed by successive governments as symbols of progress, were in practice built more for private cars and passenger comfort than for the freight movement that drives Pakistan’s economy. While commercial passenger buses and a limited number of freight carriers do use these routes, the high tolls and access restrictions make them impractical for heavy vehicle operators. The high tolls on motorways such as the M-1 (Islamabad–Peshawar) and M-2 (Lahore–Islamabad) serve as a discouraging mechanism, effectively keeping heavy transporters away to preserve a smooth ride for those who can afford it.

The result was entirely predictable: with no affordable or suitable motorways available, particularly in Sindh, nearly all freight traffic, including oil, wheat, cement, and raw materials, continued to rely on the old, toll-free highways such as the N-5 (Super Highway). These........

© The Friday Times