Pakistan set to work on a new Rs 50 billion road connecting to China

Islamabad: Pakistan is set to work on a new Rs 50 billion road project connecting to China for an alternate route for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Gilgit Baltistan government said.

The new route – funded by the Pakistan government – will be in addition to the Shandur route connecting to China under the CPEC, the regional government said.

This route would be around 350 kilometers shorter than the existing route via Khunjerab pass, said an official letter issued by the government to Gilgit Baltistan’s Works Department (GBWD).

Through this letter GBWD has been asked to prepare a concept clearance proposal for the new route which would pass through Shigar, Skardu and Astor districts and connect to Muzaffarabad district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Moreover, the concerned departments in these districts have also been asked to submit the concept clearance proposals for the construction of a 33 feet wide truck friendly road from Yarkand at China border to Gorikot in Astor via Shagarthang.

This comes after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement of a historic development package for Gilgit Baltistan. The federal government has also included the 216-kilometre Shandur-Gilgit road into the Rs 370 billion package.

The Planning Development and Special Initiatives Department said the Rs 50 billion road is being considered as an alternative route to CPEC and would be completed under the umbrella of the Integrated GB Development Plan 2021-26. The original cost of the road was estimated to be Rs 45 billion which has not been enhanced to Rs 50 billion.

The project PC-1 has been submitted to the Planning Commission for subsequent approval from Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The Ministry of Communication on April 22, submitted the PC-1 of the project to the Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives for consideration in the upcoming Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting.

The new road would be an all-weather road, providing an alternative route to CPEC during the winter when the Silk Route is closed due to snowfall. After Lowari Tunnel, the project will be another top notch and time saving route for travelling to the region. The total length of the road is 363km, of which 216 km are in GB’s territory.