CPEC clears another route hurdle

islamabad — In a first concrete step towards implementing the decisions of last year’s all parties conference (APC), the government cleared construction of the 285km-long western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) cleared the Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan four-lane expressway at an estimated cost of Rs129.8 billion, which will link the undeveloped areas of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with the CPEC road network.

The CDWP also approved another project at a cost of Rs13.6 billion to acquire land for construction of this western route.

Both the projects will now be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval. The CDWP has the mandate to approve projects worth up to Rs3 billion and recommends higher cost schemes for the final approval of Ecnec. Headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the CDWP sanctioned Rs218.2 billion worth of development projects, including seven projects worth Rs203.5 billion which were referred to Ecnec.

An APC had recommended that the government give priority to the western route of CPEC, which passes through some of the hinterlands of the country and can help address the issue of poverty in these areas. The government had initially preferred the eastern route and allocated more than 90% of CPEC funding for its earlier completion.

The Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan road will be completed by June 2018 and work is expected to begin by the middle of this year.