CPEC Joint Working Group Picks Up Three Road Projects.
ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Joint Working Group on Transport Infrastructure on Monday adopted three major road projects in Pakistan during the eighth meetings of the group held virtually on Monday.
The two sides were led by Pakistan’s Communications Secretary Zafar Hasan and China’s Vice Minister of Transport Dai Dongchang, also received briefings on the railway projects. Both sides described the online meeting as successful and result-oriented.
After deliberations, the meeting adopted a construction of a motorway from Peshawar to DI Khan (320 kilometers), Swat Expressway from Chakdara to Fatehpur Phase-II (182 kilometers), and Dir Expressway (30 kilometers), said a statement issued by the communication ministry.
The Pakistan side gave a briefing on the Mainline (ML)-1 project, Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), Peshawar Circular Railway (PCR), and Quetta Mass Transit Project. Chitral-Shandoor-Gilgit, Nokundi-Mashkhel-Panjgur, and Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Mansehra projects were also brought under discussion.
During the meeting, Communication Secretary Zafar Hasan proposed the inclusion of the Chitral to Chakdara Highway (N-45), connecting the Swat Motorway to Col Sher Khan Interchange on M-1, as part of CPEC Western Route.
He also said that the Pakistan government was planning for the remaining sections of the Gwadar-Ratodero Motorway (M-8). He called for a study of parts of the Karakoram Highway affected by a landslide so that remedial measures could be devised to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Capt (retd) Sikander Qayyum informed the meeting that the Sukkur-Multan Motorway and the Havelian-Thakot Motorway projects had been completed in record time with quality construction.
He said the 136-kilometer-long Thakot-Raikot section of the Karakoram Highway was an important link and that terms of reference (TORs) had been approved for hiring a consultant for re-alignment. He stressed the need for the up-gradation of the DI Khan-Zhob section on a priority basis.
“CPEC is the vision of the leadership of both the neighboring countries,” Secretary Hasan told the participants. He termed the meeting meaningful and expressed the hope that it would remain successful in achieving its objectives.
DAI Dongchang said that cooperation in the construction sector was expanding gradually between the two countries, which “will accelerate the pace of development” in Pakistan. He desired to realize CPEC schemes with quality construction through mutual cooperation.
He appreciated the progress and commitment of Pakistan on the CPEC projects. “China wants to enhance the scope of CPEC by including a few more projects,” he said and described the video link meeting as result-oriented.
The representatives of the Foreign Office, CPEC Authority, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), railways and maritime affairs ministries, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan governments were also present during the meeting.