Initial planning completed for Mansehra-Mirpur Motorway, SEZ AJK President

Muzaffarabad: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has stated that initial planning for the construction of Mansehra-Mirpur Motorway and the establishment of a special economic zone (SEZ) in Mirpur under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been completed, a news source reported. He shared this information while addressing the launch ceremony of a report titled ‘CPEC in AJK – A Gateway to Connectivity and Beyond’.

Roads rehabilitation, other projects approved for AJK

He said that the Pakistani and AJK governments were making joint efforts to pace up the development work on four projects launched under the CPEC initiative. He further stated that the feasibility to set up an alternate CPEC route connecting Mustagh Pass to Neelum via Shigar, Astore, and Shounter is also being explored. This route will reduce the traveling distance between AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. He highlighted that the construction of Shounter Tunnel was a major challenge for the AJK government.

Construction of five roads linking Punjab, AJK approved

He also expressed his hope that graduates from the universities in AJK would work on CPEC projects and take the AJK economy to a higher level of production, develop innovative startups, and create technical support systems. ‘The fertile AJK landscape is ripe for such transformation,’ he added.