Nine industrial zones under CPEC to be set up in three years

ISLAMABAD: Ahsan Iqbal, federal minister for planning, development and reform said on Thursday all proposed nine industrial zones under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed in a period of two to three years.

 “To take advantage of Pakistan’s natural resources, economic zones will be established under CPEC, one each in all the four provinces, FATA, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and two by the Federal Government in Islamabad Capital Territory and Port Qasim at Karachi,” he informed the senate.

The sixth joint cooperation committee held last year, has approved nine special economic zones in principally, directing the joint work group on industry to ensure its speedy implementation. “It is hoped that relocation of Chinese labour intensive industry would help in generating huge employment in Pakistan,” the minister said.

Minister said under the bilateral cooperation, industrial clusters would be set up from Gwadar to Chitral to use the natural resources. “Similarly, government had executed its plan of utilizing untapped coal reserves in Thar, a black gold which has a capacity to produce power for 400 years.”

The minister further said with the help of technology in marble mining sector, a modern marble city would be established in Mohamand Agency, FATA. Energy crisis in the country is going to end soon due to the effective and fast-track measures taken by the present government, he added.

“Government has made huge investment of the history in the energy sector to overcome shortage of electricity in the country and 10,000 megawatt of electricity will be added to the national grid from May 2017 to 2018.

Answering a question, the minister informed rail based mass transit systems are being established in all the four provinces under CPEC.  “Provincial governments are committed to ensure speedy implantation of these projects in provincial capitals, approved during 6th JCC” he remarked.