Rs111562.943mn released for National Highway Authority projects

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD – Minister for Planning and Development Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said that the speed of development at Gawadar would increase with every single project coming on ground under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said that the Gawadar would be made a smart port city having commercial and tourist facilities like Singapore or Dubai. Addressing at a seminar on potentials and prospects of Gawadar here, he also appreciated Pakistan Institute for Conflict & Security Studies (PICSS) for organising the seminar on such an important theme and highlighting the strength of Gawadar to become model port city in the future.

The minister dispelled misconceptions roaming in the journalists community and in some political circles that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a name of any single road or rail alignment, or that it is aimed at competing with other ports. “The corridor is spread over entire Pakistan from south to north having several projects on energy, infrastructure, health, education, clean drinking water,” he said.

“It will be developed due to its own unique geographical location and will complement other ports within and outside Pakistan through existing regional infrastructure.” He explained two phases of infrastructural development under China Pakistan economic Corridor. The first phase, he said will link existing Motorway from Lahore to Peshawar with Motorway from Lahore to Karachi, linking south and north through series of motorways.

“We are constraint to borrow further debt for country. The 2nd phase of corridor, envisaging road connectivity of Gawadar with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will also be started as the pace of development and traffic increases,” he added. “KKH is being upgraded up to Hawelian with Chinese assistance and N-85, which was neglected for so long, will also be completed within three years linking Ratodero with Gawadar. This will be the shortest road connectivity of Gawadar with rest of Pakistan and attract investment at Gawadar port,” he said.

The minister announced that within next three years transformational change in Gawadar will be phenomenal with respect to integrated infrastructure and investment opportunities. The cluster of projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will make Gawadar a commerce and tourist resort integrating three billion populations of South Asia, China and central Asia.