The Rawalpindi Ring Road project is again facing uncertainty despite the Punjab government setting August 14 as its latest inauguration target. This is the sixth deadline announced since construction resumed, after earlier completion targets of December 30, 2025, March 30, May 30, June 15 and June 18–22 were missed. The main route has reportedly been completed from Banth Interchange toward the motorway connection, excluding the Thalian Interchange, while work on eight toll plazas and 16 toll booths is still continuing.
The latest complication concerns a no-objection certificate issued for a proposed 102-kanal and 14-marla service area on both sides of the Ring Road. A division bench of the Lahore High Court has suspended an earlier single-bench order that had upheld the NOC and fixed July 16 for the next hearing. The legal dispute has therefore raised fresh doubts over whether the project can be formally opened on Independence Day.
The controversy has also led to administrative changes, with several senior Rawalpindi officials transferred after questions were raised over the approval process.
