-Gateway of Prosperity under CPEC to boost Railways explored
By Makhdoom
Shehryar Babar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have successfully launched 56 projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a flagship and most actively implemented project of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).
Out of these projects, 26 projects worth approximately US$17 billion have been completed so far and 30 projects worth US$8.5 billion are under construction, said the Economic Survey 2021-22 released on Thursday.
About 36 projects having an estimated cost of US$28.4 billion were also under different stages of negotiations for inclusion in the CPEC framework. This tremendous progress is a sign of great efforts and achievement of both the nations and realization of the dream of connectivity and inclusive economic growth.
The Government of Pakistan considers CPEC as a long-term development project as it has the potential to serve as a corridor with multiple doors connecting China with Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The Government is expanding the scope of CPEC so that it becomes a “Gateway of Prosperity” for both countries and the region at large. Moreover, the Chinese and Pakistani workforce, in a large number, is employed to
ensure timely completion of the infrastructure projects and launch new projects such as Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), Peshawar-D.I.Khan Motorway (M-14), KKH Alternative Route (Gilgit-Shandor-Chitral), Swat Expressway (Phase-II), Dir Expressway, Karachi Circular Railways. In the transport infrastructure sector, remarkable progress has been achieved so far. On the Eastern Alignment, Sukkur-Hyderabad (M-6) section has been proposed on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
The new projects including D.I. Khan-Peshawar Motorway, (Swat Expressway Phase-II, Dir Expressway have been proposed for inclusion in the CPEC framework in the 10th Joint Coordination Committee Meeting held in September 2021.
The survey further said, the government was expanding the scope of CPEC to explore the “Gateway of Prosperity” for both countries and the region at large through advancement of Railways sector.
According to the Economic Survey 2021-22, the government considered CPEC as a long-term development project as it has the potential to serve as a corridor with multiple doors connecting China with Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The survey said the Chinese and Pakistani workforce, in a large number, was employed to ensure timely completion of the infrastructure projects and launched new projects such as Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), Peshawar-D.I.Khan Motorway (M-14), KKH Alternative Route (Gilgit-Shandor-Chitral), Swat Expressway (Phase-II), Dir Expressway, Karachi Circular Railways.
Pakistan Railways was one of the key modes of transport in the public sector which promoted national integration and economic growth.
Pakistan Railways comprised of a total of 466 locomotives for 7,791 km route length. During July-March FY2022, the gross earnings of railways were recorded at Rs 43,731.59 million, it added. The Modern transportation and communication system was one of the key inputs for achieving sustainable economic growth.
“A network of roads, highways, motorways, sea ports, and airlines in a country makes it a center of economic activity by attracting investment, raising productivity and reducing cost of doing business,” it said.
The government was committed to upgrade the transportation and communication system with the development of new roads, highways motorways, railway tracks and airports to improve connectivity under CPEC.
The CPEC was pragmatic step for converting unique geo-strategic location of Pakistan into geo-economics through various transport related projects that would transform road infrastructure of Pakistan and improve access to central Asian, African and European states, it added
