Work on M-1 was started during Nawaz Sharif's tenure in 1997, and the contract was awarded to Turkish company Bayindar.

[4] However, the work stopped after his government was dismissed by Army Chief Pervez Musharraf in October 1999.

[4] Work restarted in 2003 after the contract was re-awarded to a consortium PMC-JV during President Pervez Musharraf's tenure.

In 2004, the Senate body was briefed on a plan to connect Gwadar Port with the existing motorway infrastructure.

The M-1 has 14 interchanges - at Airport Link Road, Islamabad, AWT/ Sanjiani/ Paswal, Burma Bhatar, Burhan (Hassan Abadal/ Kamra), Hazara Expressway (E-35), Ghazi, Chachh, Sawabi, Rashakai, Charsadda, the Peshawar Northern Bypass and Peshawar Ring Road.