ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Interior and Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that dream of China Pakistan Economic Corridor is being realised and its western route is being completed at a rapid pace.
Thakot-Havelian section is a significant part of the CPEC programme and progress on this project is as per schedule.
He said this while speaking during his visit to the under-construction Thakot-Havelian expressway project on Wednesday.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, National Highways Authority Chairman Jawwad Rafique Malik and senior officers of Ministry of Communications and the NHA were also present on this occasion.
The minister said early completion of the CPEC stood among priorities of the government.
Expressing satisfaction over the pace of work and its quality, he said the project located in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would prepare ground for socio-economic uplift of the whole region and in near future this region would be linked up with the national highways and motorways network.
Our endeavour, the minister said, was to complete Havelian-Mansehra segment in 2018.
He further said that the Hakla-DI Khan section of the CPEC would also be completed next year.
The minister said the western route of the CPEC was being actualised with high construction standards under which motorways and expressways were being built throughout the country.
The CPEC will cast far-reaching positive effects on national economy, and the economy of the whole region as well, he added.
NHA Chairman Jawwad Rafique Malik welcomed the visiting guests.
Giving briefing, Malik told that 120 km long Thakot-Havelian expressway was located in north of the country and it was an important section of the CPEC project.
Project passes through Havelian, Abbottabad, Manshera, Shinkiari and Thakot.
In order to facilitate its construction, the project is divided into three segments.
Construction of six state-of-the-art tunnels having total length of nine kilometres is also included in scope of the project.
The project is being completed at the cost of Rs134 billion and hopefully will be completed by February 2020.
On completion, the project will open up new avenues of economic development in the entire region.
