11 SEZs to be established under CPEC: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said that nine special economic zones (SEZs) would be established in the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and two at federal level.

Talking to media after attending a meeting of the parliamentary committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said the panel was briefed on the proceedings of 6th Joint Cooperation Committee held in Beijing, including the projects included in CPEC by the Chinese government, which were suggested by the provinces and approved by the prime minister.

Peshawar Circular Railway and Gilgit-Chitral to Chakdara Road projects were included in the CPEC on the recommendation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he added. He said Noshki-Nokundi Road project was also included in multi-billion dollars deal as it suggested by the Balochistan government.

Ahsan said the provincial governments were also asked to allocated land for the establishment of special economic zones in their respective provinces. The JCC also approved the installation of North-South transmission line which would also provide electricity for Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan from the national grid, he added.

The parliamentary committee, he said, was also apprised that the JCC accorded approval for the development of water plant and 300-MW electricity plant at Gwadar. The minister said work on the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam would start during current financial year with the government also allocating funds in the next year’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The mega project would be able to store about 10 to 12 million acres feet water and completed in 10 to 12 years. He said country was able to enhance electricity generation capacity to 15,000 to 16,000 MW in last 66 years but the government was working on different power projects to produce about 18,000-MW of electricity in three years.