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QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated the Gwadar-Hoshab (M-8) road and reviewed the work being carried out on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
During the inspection of the newly constructed M-8 route, General Raheel Sharif personally drove the prime minister in an open-top vehicle.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa added that the locals were overjoyed with the progress of the CPEC project.
The inauguration ceremony of M8 was attended by Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz and other high ranking military and civilian officials.
“The land-locked Central Asian states are interested in trade via the Gwadar port,” said the prime minister while addressing the attendees.
He stated on the occasion that CPEC would open new vistas of development and prosperity in the region in general and benefit the country in particular.
The prime minister also praised the services and sacrifices rendered by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) during the construction of the ongoing project.
“Despite security problems, work is in full-swing on construction of roads in Balochistan,” added Nawaz.
The premier elaborated that after completion of CPEC and other related projects, Balochistan would not be dependent for financial aid on the federal government.
"CPEC would ensure economic development of Balochistan", he said, adding that the people of the province would be major beneficiaries of the mega project.
"Projects cannot be completed through mere slogans, rather a strategy is needed for completion of projects", he said.
The prime minister also reiterated his commitment on the occasion and said efforts were being made to develop Balochistan and bring it at par with other parts of the country.
Read: PM inaugurates western route of CPEC in Zhob
Earlier in January, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had inaugurated the western route of the (CPEC) in Balochistan's Zhob and laid the foundation stones of two key projects: upgradation of the Zhob-Mughal Kot section of the Dera Ismail Khan-Qila Saifullah Highway (N-50) and the Qilla Saifullah-Waigam Rud Road section of the Multan-Dera Ghazi Khan-Qilla Saifullah Highway (N-70)
CPEC: Background
The CPEC is a 3,000-kilometer network of roads, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas from Gwadar Port to Kashgar city, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan in May 2013, the CPEC will act as a bridge for the new Maritime Silk Route that envisages linking three billion people in Asia, Africa and Europe.
An official agreement on the corridor was signed between the two countries in May this year during President Xi Jinping's historic visit to Pakistan.
A flagship project of the Belt and Road initiative as well, the CPEC intends to revive the ancient Silk Road with a focus on infrastructure, and constitutes the strategic framework of bilateral cooperation.
The project links China's strategy to develop its western region with Pakistan's focus on boosting its economy, including the infrastructure construction of Gwadar Port, together with some energy cooperation and investment programs.
It also involves road and railway construction including an upgrade of the 1,300-km Karakoram Highway, the highest paved international road in the world which connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountains.
The CPEC will reduce China's routes of oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East by thousands of kilometers, making Gwadar a potentially vital link in China's supply chain.
Comments (64) Closed
But how can a project outside Lahore be done. Is it allowed in PMLN government :) I am sure against every dollar spent on this project 10 dollars will be spent on further development and beautification of Lahore.
Great job PM.
I hope work will commence on Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway that was inaugurated twice; alas! No work started
“The land-locked Central Asian states are interested in trade via the Gwadar port,” said the prime minister."
Yes, Gwadar would have provided the shortest route to the Arabian Sea for some of the Central Asian Republics. However, what about our extremely fragile and sometimes almost non-existent infrastructure? Security is yet another issue.
By the way, has PML (N) Government done anything useful other than constructing roads?
Your last sentence; The CPEC will reduce China's routes of oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East by thousands of kilometers, making Gwadar a potentially vital link in China's supply chain. Yes this is easy to understand but would someone tell us what is there in CPEC for Pakistan when this is connected to backyard of China which does not produce anything, has no industry, has little potential for development as there is very little population having no skilled labor and is about 4000 km from any major industrial hub of China. How is it a game changer for Pakistan?
Does the PM not have anything better to do than to go around inaugurating CPEC M-8 portions? These can be done by a top class Chinese/Pakistani engineer working on the project or a Baluch minister tied to the project.
Good job PM.
PMLn is doing a good job. Still alot to be achieved.
@Adnan Mazher Khan Karachi-Hyderabad-Lahore motorway is a part of Eastern corridor. Interestingly Sindh government along with KP and Balochistan are protesting against this project. So ask your Sindh government to stand behind Eastern route that includes this motorway as a prime route. Also please teach PTI who mostly reside reside in Punjab and Sindh that propaganda against Eastern corridor is not in your own interests. Imran and Khattak have made you blind and you fell for it.
So it is pmln government in Balochistan. Balochistan are you ready for progress??
PM keep on doing the good work. The road to discovery is tough with obstacles in every path, but be determined, IA Pakistan will regain his lost glory under your tenure.
Well done! But again, Imran Khan will start protesting because he cannot see these developments...
@Muslim Agree, no development in Punjab for next 100 years, please
@Malik , please appreciate that Nawaz Sharif, or Shahs of Sindh have no stakes in Karachi except looting, plundering and exploitation of resources in their own benefits. Karachi has been left to no one as an orphaned child. I don't see any development till the time PML(N) or present ruling elite is in power.
Nothing is impossible if there is strong will and avowed commitment behind it. We need to show sincerity and selflessness in undertaking any job whether it exists in Balochistan or Punjab. A true national leader will never make discrimination between a small and big brothers because he is like a father and the father is always courteous.
GB is in blank....Nawaz have a pity on GB.
Haters goona hate. March on, Pakistan!
@Adnan Mazher Khan active work is going on superhighway to convert it to motorway
@Muslim for god sake plz be positive ...
@Adnan Mazher Khan PMLN is in federal government. But PPP and MQM are in Provincial government. So why not blame your own elected representatives?. Kindly Read the 18th amendment. Provinces are powerful than the federal government. Blame your own Provincial government. Sindh has higher per capita budget than Punjab this time. So Victimhood card will not work this time. Blaming others for your own problems is easy but not the solution.
Great News
Wonderful news!!!
Imran Khan will get mad with progressive Pakistan,he don't like roads, highways,he thinks everyone has helicopters .
@Malik mqm in government? What a joke.
Great job COAS...
GOOD WORK
Congratulations. We want to see good network of roads across the country.
@Adnan Mazher Khan please do research, Karachi = Hyderabad motorway has already completed
PIA services have been declared as essential. A service that is "essential" can be privatized?
@Adnan Mazher Khan very funny, looting and plunder in sind has been done by ppp, mqm, and anp. Pmln has hardly any presence in sind. Wake up and change your provincial and local leadership
Highways are built based on careful feasibility studies by engineers and planners. In Pakistan, these decisions are made by politicians. No wonder Pakistan is where it is.
@Muslim How can you say that this country was built for Punjabis other provinces are serfs - highest taxes are paid from khi yet Lahore gets the development
Seat belts please .... lead from the front!!
Good work COAS.
Most beautiful partenership of PM and COAS.With their sincere efforts they have not only earn fame in Muslim world but in entire world they are respected from core of hearts.They are starting projects and our generations will take benefits.Merit and justice is seen in all projects and jobs.Particularly criminals and terrorists are trying to save their lives in their hideouts.May they live long!
We have taken off. This is the biggest game changer and a major impact on global trade.
May GOD take Pakistan up and up and up...Inshahallah...
Good job Pakistan Army! you succeed where our politicians fail!
are Pakistanis allowed to us this road or is this only for CPEC?
Looking at pictures, its only one lane either way. Its not even a "A" road from British classification of road system. Are we suppose to run the trade, import/export traffic from China and central Asian states on this? Is there any scalability and future traffic flow report done before construction of these roads?
Lovely picture military head driving civilian head of a nation.
@Muslim Get over with negative thinking and making statements without any fact.
CPEC must be completed under all costs, period!
This is the last chance for Pak and if she messes up here then it will be all curtains from here on.
Great work PM & COAS. I was a IK supporter but after seeing all projects NS is pursuing and all the development he is doing, I will vote for him in next election.
I see some negatives comments here. It is bothering to see a trend in Pakistan that even if a person is trying to improve the country he is criticized. NS is lesser of the corrupts than PPP and NS is actually spending some money on country and must be supported. There cannot be 100% transparency in the country but at least we can say that in last two years things have changed for better and a momentum has been built.
Best duo in Pak's history
@Malik Sir..... MQM is not the part of provincial government of PPP. Instead MQM is deprived of power for its elected representatives which the PPP has snatched.
its nice to watch COAS driving the jeep and PM Nawaz Sharif humbly sitting beside him.
Thank you FWO and Army!
driving Ms. Daisy.
PM NS in a jeep after such long time.
PM Sharif looks very tense in the photograph in the article. Under pressure?
Congratulations Pakistan.
Nice to see the government moving ahead with multiple projects. Good job. I noticed a lot of negative comments, perhaps those Pakistani's should just act like nothing is being done and not comment at all. It seems that your are damned if you do and damned if you dont. Pakistani people should realize that changes take time and having a Positive attitude.
@Adnan Aziz you generate revenue when countries use your roads and ports.
finally some progress, home these roads are built of good quality and local people are employed and given means to earn livelihood with all this construction.
The road looks to be very narrow
I thought, it was a 6 lane motorway and see what the M8 is, just a single road.
Lately both Sharifs seem to be going out sightseeing often.Last trip was Saudi and now this...Eyes of the DEEP STATE would be watching this very closely.
It is always nice to see PM & COAS together.
It doesn't look like a limited access motorway. Two-lanes, undivided and no shoulders. Is this for real?
Just by looking at the picture of the road, it seems to be built very cheap. The alignment looks really bad specially for truck traffic. Also surprised to see no shoulders on the road, the lanes are very narrow, no side fence, and absolutely no lights.The road doesn't look like will be able to handle huge truck traffic. Is this the infrastructure that CPEC is going to give Pakistan that will not last more than a couple of years. Seems like someone is making huge money from all this CPEC drama. And last of all why is the Army building these roads, don't we have qualified contractors who can build this? Everything is just a drama in our country.
Priceless Pictures, Army Chief Driving the Jeep and PM sitting next to him...... Shows their commitment and good working relationship.
Very good job done by FWC as well as security forces for completing the said project. They are deserve for appreciation. Hope that all projects will be completed on schedule time.
Great step forward. Good job PM!