CPEC fast changing the fate of Balochistan: Deputy Speaker National Assembly

Quetta: Deputy Speaker of Pakistani National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was fasting changing the fate of the Balochistan province.

Speaking to journalists here, Suri predicted that CPEC will end the sense of deprivation in the Balochistan province.

“CPEC will end deprivations of people of Balochistan. The province is fast developing with massive Chinese investments,” he remarked.

Suri maintained that CPEC was equally benefiting all the provinces of Pakistan and there was no discrimination towards Balochistan.

“I will become a voice of Balochistan in the centre. I will try to fetch as much resources from the federal government for Balochistan as possible,” he contended.

Suri underlined that Balochistan had a great potential to change the destiny of the country by equipping themselves with the latest knowledge and information technology skills.

Suri called on the political parties to deepen strategic communication with China to learn from the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s experience of governance.

Commenting on CPEC, he said that it has successfully completed its first phase and has now given a new dimension and rejuvenated the deep-rooted bilateral partnership in economy, society, culture, ecology, and governance.

Earlier, the Pakistani official media reported that the work on Western alignment of CPEC was in full swing as the incumbent government had initiated 11 new road projects under the CPEC.

Two new projects worth of Rs 314 billion were also added to the CPEC in the 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on CPEC, according to the CPEC Authority.

Out of the new projects, PC-I of Dir-Chakdara Motorawy (29 kilometers) has been approved and it would be completed within two years at a cost of Pakistani Rs 38 billion.

Similarly the 360 km Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan motorway has also been included in the CPEC which is expected to be completed within four years at a cost of Rs 276 billion.

Among the projects initiated by the current government included the 331 kilometer Zhob-Quetta road which is expected to be completed at a cost of Rs 63 billion. PC-I of the project has already been approved and the funds have also been allocated in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2021-22.

The PC-I of another project Quetta-Khuzdar road has also been approved which is 330 kilometer long and is estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs 81 billion.

Similarly, work on the linked roads of the Western Route is also under process. The PC-I of 146 kms Hoshab-Awaran road has also been approved which is expected to be completed at a cost of Rs 38 billion. The projects was included in the PSDP and contractor has also been mobilized for the project.

The PC-1 of the 168 kms Awaran-Khuzdar road project has also been approved which would be completed at a cost of Rs 32 billion. Funds for this project have also been allocated in PSDP 2021-22.