PESHAWAR: Public-Private Partnership Committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved construction of 360-kilometre Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and 30-kilometre Dir Motorway.

The approval was accorded in a meeting of the committee held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair, according to a statement.

Besides provincial ministers Fazal-i-Shakoor Khan and Riaz Khan, Chief Secretary Dr Shahzad Bangash, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, the secretaries of finance and communication and works departments, Advocate General Shumail Butt, the managing director of Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority and other members of the committee attended the meeting.

Briefing the meeting about financial and technical feasibility and other aspects of Peshawar-DI Khan and Dir motorways, it was told that both the projects were technically and financially viable. The projects will be executed through public-private partnership.

The 360-kilometre Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway will be constructed at a total cost of Rs261.6 billion. The six-lane motorway will consist of 19 interchanges and seven kilometres long two tunnels. Some 30 kilometres service road will also be constructed in populated areas along the motorway.

The meeting was informed that 30-kilometre motorway from Chakdara to Rabaat would be constructed at a cost of Rs35.5 billion. Three interchanges, four overpasses, four flyovers, 24 bridges, two tunnels and two underpasses would be constructed under the project.

The participants of the meeting were informed that both the projects had already been cleared by Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Talking on the occasion, the chief minister termed the projects of great importance for sustainable development of the province. He said that the projects, on completion, would prove a milestone towards economic stability of the province by promoting tourism, trade and economic activities in the region.

He directed the quarters concerned to timely start acquisition of land for the projects. He also directed them to ensure strict implementation of relevant rules and regulations in the entire process under public-private partnership.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2021