ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a bridge between China and the Arabia Sea, will help make Pakistan an international interchange.

Addressing the public talk titled, ‘The Role of FWO in National Infrastructure Development and Implementation of CPEC’ on Wednesday, Director General, Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), Maj-Gen Mohammad Afzal told participants that over the next decade and a half more than $500 billion will be invested in the country from all over the world because of CPEC.

Maj-Gen Afzal said China had committed to initiating projects worth $46 billion, which would help address the country’s development and energy problems.

“CPEC will become the most cost effective and the shortest route for international trade and it will save us $10billion every year”.

Mr Afzal told the audience that conspiracies to halt the project were being hatched in the east and elsewhere but the nation “is physically, mentally and spiritually ready to tackle the challenges”.

He said a lot of hard work had been put into the project and that work on it was underway.

“The lives of 25 workers have been lost and 135 people were injured but work on CPEC in Balochistan is going on in full swing. Over 500 kilometres out of 873 kilometres in the western project has already been constructed which means we are completing 1.5km of road every day.”

Pakistan will benefit from the project in terms of trade because 95 per cent trade is conducted through the sea, the Maj-Gen said, adding that it will relieve some burden from Karachi port and will facilitate Gwadar deep sea port by enhancing its connectivity.

He added that eight smart cities will be constructed along the corridor. “Smart cities will be controlled by one officer who will look after fuel, environment, electricity, the garbage collection system, among other things.”

Mr Afzal said the FWO was committed to completing the project well before the stipulated time.

The organisation has employed almost 60 per cent of its resources to complete various sections along the western route including Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab section of the Gwadar-Ratodero Highway, the widening and improvement of Hoshab-Nag-Bisma-Surab Highway and a few sections of the Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Road.

The FWO works in the most difficult areas of the country in very harsh conditions, said Mr Afzal, recounting the organisation’s work on the Karakoram Highway, the Gilgit-Skardu Road, Khanpur Dam and the Makran Coastal Highway.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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