Engineering Post Report
Under the umbrella of great game changer China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Gwadar Port in the Southwest of Pakistan would connect to China’s North-Western region of Xinjiang via network of highways and railways, covering the entire country from North to South through three different alignments: Eastern, Western and Central.
Road infrastructure on the Eastern Alignment has been completed with the exception of Sukkur-Hyderabad section and it is due to start in 2021-22.
On the Western alignment, Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Road CoD is expected to be completed during current financial year 2021-22. Remaining projects on the alignment have either been completed or under implementation.
The Central alignment is expected to start in the third phase of CPEC.
According to information gathered from different sources concerned about progress made under CPEC during 2020-21, development plan for Oil and Gas sector of Pakistan has since been formulated and printed for necessary action by quarters concerned; Havelian-Thakot Road Project (KKH Phase II) has been completed and inaugurated on July 28,2020; Construction work started on New Gwadar International Airport in October 2020; Orange Line Metro Train project inaugurated on October 25,2020; Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved Main Line-1 from Karachi to Peshawar rail track up gradation on August 5,2020; Construction of Motorway from Burhan-Hakla on M-1 to Dera Ismail Khan substantially completed; Ground breaking of Awaran—Hoshab section of M-8 performed by the Prime Minister on November 13,2020; Chitral-Shinder Road project ground breaking performed by the Prime Minister on April 21,2021 are v among some other projects of other sectors.
In the industrial cooperation, out of the nine special economic zones, four economic zones namely Rashakai SEZ, Allama Iqbal Industrial Zone, Dhabeji SEZ and Bostan SEZ have been placed on the priority list. Work on the utilities provision such as gas and electricity have already been started and sufficient supply will be ensured to effectively run the economic zones.
Power requirements for Rashakai, Allama Iqbal , Dhabeji and Bostan SEZs are respectively 210 MW, 375 MW,2509 MW and 50 MW whereas gas requirements are 30,40,30 and 10 MMCFD respectively.
Tourism promotion as part of the Long Term Plan is another area of cooperation under CPEC framework. Coastal tourism, eco-tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan and integrated tourism zones in Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa are among the areas in the tourism sector to be opened up for deliberations during the ongoing financial year.
