ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has withdrawn a notification it issued hours earlier to significantly increase toll taxes across Pakistan’s motorway and highway network.
The retreat comes at a time when the country is grappling with the highest fuel prices in its history and intensifying pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to eliminate subsidies and “do more” to stabilize a fragile economy.
نیشنل ہائی وے اتھارٹی نے ٹال ٹیکس میں اضافے کا فیصلہ واپس لے لیا https://t.co/SVRBJ6Ixtk pic.twitter.com/nPo31AyVs1
— Shahid Hussain (@ShahidHussainJM) April 3, 2026
Earlier this week, the NHA Finance Wing issued a notification detailing a sweeping upward revision of toll rates effective April 5, 2026. This marked what would have been the fourth increase in toll taxes within a single year—a move that sparked immediate outcry from transport unions and the general public.
The proposed rates included National Highway car rates rising to Rs. 100, while major motorway stretches like the M-5 (Multan-Sukkur) were set to charge Rs. 1,500 for cars. Strategic points such as the Kohat Tunnel and E-35 Expressway also saw steep proposed climbs, adding hundreds of rupees to the cost of a single journey for commercial vehicles.
By April 3, 2026, the NHA issued a follow-up notification signed by General Manager (Revenue), stating that the previous order regarding the toll rate revision was being “withdrawn with immediate effect.
” While the official document cited the “approval of competent authority,” insiders suggest the withdrawal was a tactical “cooling-off” measure. The federal government, already facing a political firestorm over historic inflation, reportedly feared that adding a fourth toll hike to the current fuel crisis would be the “last straw” for the transport sector.
Pakistan, it may be added here, is currently navigating a perfect storm of financial stressors, headlined by petrol and diesel prices that have smashed all previous records. Not just that, but Pakistan remains locked in a rigorous 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF. The Fund’s “Do More” mantra has pushed the government to implement “cost recovery” measures in the energy and infrastructure sectors, effectively demanding the removal of all subsidies that shield the public from global price volatility.
With the cost of logistics already soaring due to fuel hikes, the proposed toll increase threatened to trigger a secondary wave of price hikes for essential commodities, including food and medicine.
