ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Monday said that dualisation of 298-kilometre long Kuchlak-Zhob road would connect far-flung areas of Balochistan with other parts of the country, help set up new industrial zones and boost the process of development.

In tweets on social media platform Twitter, he said the National Highway Authority had called bids for the road project which would be one of the schemes under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Mr Suri said the road would not only connect areas in Balochistan but also Dera Ismail Khan and tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. An amount of Rs63 billion had been allocated for the road project which would be part of the western route of CPEC and decrease distance between Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan by eight hours, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2020