ISLAMABAD: The major portion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) transportation infrastructure projects’ investment would go to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wherein as many as $3.825 billion would be spent on development of various infrastructure projects.
As many as $3.020 billion would be spent on the major portion of Karokaram Highway Phase-II (from Raikot to Islamabad), followed by an investment of $ 730 million on construction of a portion of expansion and reconstruction of existing main railway line ML-1, official sources said.
A sum of $35 million would be spent on major portion of Cross-border Optical Fiber Cable while $ 40 million would be spent on establishment of Havelian Dry Port. The next major beneficiary of the CPEC infrastructure would be Punjab provinces, wherein $ 3.739 billion would be utilised for various projects.
A sum of $1.790 billion would be spent for construction of a portion of Sukkur-Multan of Peshawar-Karachi Motorway while $1.460 billion have been estimated cost of a portion of expansion and reconstruction of existing main railway line (ML-1).
Similarly, $480 million would be utilized for construction of small portion of Railkot-Islamabad Highway and $9 million for Cross Border Optical fiber Cable.
In Sindh, $2.260 million would be utilised for transport infrastructure projects, out of which $1.460 billion would be spent on expansion and reconstruction of a portion of existing Line ML-1. An amount of $800 million would be spent on construction of a portion of Sukkur-Multan Section of Karachi Lahore Motorway (KLM).
About $793 million would be spent on 8 transport infrastructure projects of Balochistan province. As many as $130 million would be spent on necessary facility of fresh water treatment and supply, $100 million for establishment of a hospital at Gwadar, $230 million for construction of Gawadar International Airport and $141 million for establishment of Eastbay Expressway.
Similarly, $ 123 million would be spent on construction of breakwaters, $27 million for dredging of berthing areas and channels, $32 million for infrastructure for Free Zone and EPZs-port related industries and $ 10 million for technical and vocational institute at Gwadar.
It is pertinent to mention here that CPEC is a long-term broad framework with multiple sectoral projects, which will be completed in different phases through bilateral agreements agreed upon by both sides as a win-win equation. Pakistan and China had signed an agreement last year to commence work on CPEC development projects worth over $46 billion.
The corridor aims to connect Gwadar port in Balochistan to China’s Xinjiang region via a network of highways, railways and pipelines spread over 3,000 KM. Work on several sections is in progress.
