PESHAWAR - Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said he would head a monitoring committee to ensure accelerated work on circular railway and other communication projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

The implementation and monitoring committee would monitor the process of implementation of different phases of the projects and would ensure quality of work. The committee would comprise representatives of federal and provincial governments, the chief minister said while presiding over a meeting that focused different projects under the CPEC, including the circular railway, inter- connectivity of six districts, Chashma Lift Irrigation Scheme, commercial rate fixation of University Town and other projects.

Additional Chief Secretary, administrative secretaries and other relevant quarters attended the meeting. He directed for convening a meeting of the committee during the next week.

The circular railway project would connect Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Malakand and Charsadda districts.

The chief minister termed these projects as future of the region, saying that both Pakistan and China were guarantors of these agreements. The Peshawar region mass transit circular railway project needed to be taken to the next phase as the province would take it up in the next JCC meeting in November, he said.

The project was approved for the third-party evaluation and the meeting also agreed that an expert committee would keep a vigil over activities of the circular railway track project. Under the project, 34.43 kilometres existing railway track between Peshawar and Nowshera, 23.3 kilometres from Nowshera to Mardan and 36.1 kilometres-long railway track from Mardan to Charsadda would be upgraded.  However, a new track of 30 kilometres from Charsadda to Nowshera would be laid down.

Khattak directed for up-gradation of signalling system on the existing railway tracks. Pak Railway and Transport Department should prepare their own PC-Is and should finalise the same in consultation with the P&D Department, he added. He said that every department would perform its own part of the duty.

He said that the federal minister for railway had already agreed to the use of existing tracks for the circular railway project. He directed to remove all the obstacles in the project. The meeting was told that Pak Railway had already constituted its technical committee and the P&D department had also notified a core committee for the purpose. The committees would work with mutual understanding, he said.

The Chinese contractor of the project was asked to open its office in Peshawar. After necessary requirements, the land acquisition process would be initiated, the participants of the meeting were told.

The chief minister directed for finalising arrangements for making the project a reality. The KP government would make two different agreements with Pakistan Railways and the Chinese company for the project, he added.