CPEC to put KP on road to development: CM Mahmood Khan

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a golden opportunity to put the province on the path to rapid development.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform ground-breaking of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone, a flagship project under CPEC, soon,” he said while speaking at the CPEC conference. The conference was organised by the Parliamentary Committee on CPEC in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade, said a handout. The chief minister said that due to the efforts of the provincial government, three mega projects of motorways and two projects of energy have been included in CPEC portfolio, adding, efforts were on to include other important projects in the CPEC. “The matter regarding inclusion of Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project in CPEC has been discussed in the last meeting of the joint cooperation committee and hopefully this important project would also be included in CPEC portfolio in the upcoming meeting of JCC,” he remarked.

Highlighting the importance of CRBC project, the chief minister said that the project was of vital importance to ensure the food security in the province. The project once completed would not only bring thousands acres of barren land under cultivation but would also be instrumental towards green revolution in the region, he added.

He said that the Rashakai Special Economic Zone was the first step towards sustainable development under the CPEC portfolio, which would create tremendous employment opportunities for people and promote trade and economic activities at large scale in the province.

About the government’s developmental strategy in communication sector, the chief minister said that the construction of mega road projects like Swat Motorway Phase-II, DI Khan Motorway and Dir Expressway would be ensured at all costs, he said, adding, once completed, these projects would connect different parts of province. Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser also addressed the conference and termed the CPEC as a game-changer project for the province. He urged upon the politicians, elected public representatives and bureaucracy to play their vital role to get the maximum benefits of this golden opportunity and put this province on the track of prosperity and development.