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The government on Monday decided to build a 'CPEC Tower' in Islamabad named after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The decision was taken during a meeting of officials from the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, other line ministries and departments in the capital.
The 'CPEC Tower', touted as 'iconic' by Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, is to become the tallest building in the federal capital and will attract investors and serve as a symbol of Pak-China friendship.
A high-level committee to be headed by Malik Ahmed Khan, member infrastructure of the Planning Ministry, will work on the proposed CPEC tower.
During the meeting, Iqbal laid down the tasks for the committee, and directions were given to conduct a feasibility study after identifying a suitable site for the building, and to acquire the land in the light of the feasibility study.
"The committee should sit with the relevant departments to resolve issues of building codes and regulations," Iqbal said.
The minister stated that the initiative would facilitate Chinese and other investors from around the world, adding that the building would help build an image of Islamabad as a sustainable and vibrant city thriving upon entrepreneurship, science and technology, research and development, finance and culture.
"The CPEC Tower should be equipped with a state-of-the-art hotel, office spaces, commercial spaces and modern facilities," said Iqbal.
Comments (60)
Wow
Karachi would have been better suited for the 'iconic' CPEC Tower. Islamabad doesn't have a sufficient skyline for such tower. Karachi is a financial hub and has an emerging skyline.
The CPEC tower would look out of place in Islamabad, whereas, it would be part of the emerging skyline in Karachi. Karachi is the symbol of the economic capital of Pakistan, therefore, the CPEC tower would be better reflected in Karachi. Plus, Karachi is the city of our Quiad-e-Azam.
The Mongols(Mughals) also only built the monuments instead of real developments for the poor people of India.
The country is impoverished and you are making tower!
What a waste of money. Use this money for education and healthcare.
Building skyscraper structures like the Shanghai Tower is something Chinese developers, architects and engineers have a lot of experience in doing.
Counting chickens before they hatch. Unwise
Don't waste money on this. If you want some tower then rename sone old tower and use this money for public development works.
And the funds for that will also come from China?
Excellent keep going
Odd reasons to build an office building!
Leave my beautiful city alone. We don't need high rise buildings. You have already did so much damage to this city. Don't follow footsteps of desperate people.
More grandiose gesture projects by Nawaz Government, while the poor look on in despair.
That sounds really good, please plan well before executing any mega project in the light of future needs, a country with 200 millions people means fast changes in all aspects.
Oh for goodness sake, why?
A university or hospital would have been better. Islamabad is not the best place for tall structures.
Please forgive this nation, Iconic Tower? One Third of CPEC wealth has already been stolen by your boss and you guys, did you see that this looted wealth has already created much distance between Sharif brothers, they might not attend funeral of each other?
Do we have the money to do such a thing? What about education health water and dams
Good News . CPEC is here to stay and no one can harm it.
The CPEC tower should be built only as a culmination of the setting of the CPEC projects and not alone and lonely.
Build it in some other city rather than in Islamabad. Perhaps Karachi where majority of the business and industry is situated or in Balochistan or Peshawar. This will also help improve the infrastructure of the city, boost businesses etc. If we politicise this project then its bound to fail regardless of how much money we make from it and I can already feel how projects are undertaken on a whim.
Please invest these Billion of rupees cost of Building the tower instead on country health and education
Cpec tower should be built in gawadar to create more job opportunities specially to encourage professionals to relocate to the developing city.
Good. About time Pakistan started getting skyscrapers like all modern countries.
Make sure you have space for parking!!!!! Days of building Iconic (or not) towers are gone!!!. any why Islamabad?? should it not be close to the actual route and facilitate the route... where they can process permits and other documents.
CPEC tower? Why not name it Friendship Tower?
I bet that even this CPEC building has to be built by the Chinese.
CPEC Tower is a good idea to show the seriousness of the this huge project but it should be built in Quetta because Blochistan needs development everywhere in the province.
more appropriate name should be Edhi Tower. CPEC will live survive or not. but Edhi's name will live till eternity.
No doubt CPEC will contribute enormously towards our economic development but this government is acting as if there is nothing else in our development plans, and as if there is no other facet to our economy. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal should also have informed us if the tower is being financed by the Chinese loans or an investment where the government has guaranteed a return of 34% on the equity.
Make one tower for Trump as well.
Really don't need any iconic iconic CPEC tower. CPEC Towers low rise shall crop up in Quetta, Gwadar, other regional areas and along the highway to make trade transit a success. Help China making CPEC a success a model of poverty alleviation!
In the mean time 70 - 80% of the people of Pakistan have no access to potable water. Priorities!
A city on the major fault line is not suitable for tall buildings. The beauty of Islamabad is not due to the tall buildings but the greenery it have.
Yup, everything in Punjab.....
Why not a big hospital to mark the same
@Arshad Islamabad is a Federal Area, not Punjab.
Why does he want to make Islamabad a concrete jungle, let it remain the capital of Pakistan, instead of converting it into a commercial hub, one reason why the capital was shifted from Karachi. If he is so adamant about a iconic building , build a CPEC tower hospital in the rural area of Islamabad.
When people go for symbolism, that means wisdom is lost its grace in action...
Another opportunity for Chinese labour, Chinese machinery and Chinese loans.
Towers are meant for the rich , the rich and the elite, nawaz group will own the major shares .what a great idea.
That is nessesary. Then only the future generation pak. people can demolish it after 20 years due to the very failure of CPEC. The burden of repayment of loan with 27% of interest on every Pakistani head will collapes her economics, just for a Corridor which is going to be used for mobility of Chinese trucks to carry goods to middle east.
Actually Chinese are supposed to build this tower somewhere in China as CPEC benefits only Chinese
keep it up
A very creative name I daresay.
Another corruption scandal under NS
Best wishes Pakistan and CPEC
And the steel would be provided by Ittefaq foundry
Build it at Margalla Hills' highest possible point.
@Syed Naqvi
Your views ans sentiments are appreciated. However, logically it should either be in the Federal Capital or at Gawadar.
Why not first implement all projects properly and then build your iconic tower !!
cool. A piece of advise, sublet it to bahria, and let them build it. make it a 100 story tower.
Jatiumra would be a better choice for ugly structures.
@M sohail Ha ha ..nice joke.
Let the tower symbolise the great potential of CPEC. It will also symbolise the aspirations of the common man and make him proud. People who criticise every govt move should be realistic and be proud of incremental achievements.
Good thing, Pakistan needs these kind of towers to symbolize economic growth and advancement $!!!!
GREAT
CPEC tower should be built near GWADAR port in Baluchistan. West of this port is an excellent location for tourist hence five star resorts. Karachi is too crowded and Islamabad is too far away and not a commercial city.
There is already a CPEC Tower in China. It is called 'Shanghai Tower'. Why build another one?
Syed nawvi.i respect ur love gor karachi but what more we shud build in karachi. ?Or shud there be anything left to be built in other cities?