Cabinet Committee on CPEC: Realignment of KKH from Thakot to Raikot okayed

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CCoCPEC) has approved several projects, including realignment of KKH from Thakot to Raikot, provision of utilities for CPEC Special Economic Zones (SEZ), implementation plan to vacate Pakistan Coast Guards and Pakistan Navy land at Shamba Shamail, Gwadar, and establishment of CPEC Business & Industrial Cooperation Tower.

The projects were approved on Thursday during a meeting of CCoCPEC, chaired by Minister of Planning Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar, which was attended by Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor and other relevant stakeholders.

The first agenda item was the realignment of the KKH from Thakot to Raikot, discussed at length. Secretary Ministry of Communication informed the meeting that PC-II for the realignment of KKH 250 kms was approved by the Departmental Development Working Party DDWP and after that NESPAK has been engaged to carry out the feasibility study. He apprised the committee that the engagement of Chinese consultancy team will be the responsibility of Chinese government out of their funds and it will be considered as Technical Assistance to the GoP.

The Planning Development & Special Initiatives, PD&SI, directed the Ministry of Communication, NHA and relevant stakeholders to meet the deadline, so the project could be completed on time. During the meeting, the PD&SI minister has also given a deadline of 30 days to complete the game plan of Rashaki SEZ, KPK, Dhabeji SEZ, Sindh, Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Punjab and Bostan SEZ Balochistan, while reviewing the progress on provision of utilities for CPEC Special Economic Zones (SEZ).

During the meeting, the implementation plan for vacation of PCG and PN land at Shamba Ismail, Gwadar, was also discussed at length. The PD&SI minister directed the relevant stakeholders to hand over 52 acres land. The meeting was informed that the concerned authority was interested to keep 20 acres land due to security reasons. The meeting also approved the establishment of CPEC Business & Industrial Cooperation Tower in Islamabad with Public-Private Partnership basis.