ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: Federal Minister for Communications and Railways, Javed Ashraf Qazi has directed the highway officials that the pace of work on Pasni-Gwadar section of Makran Coastal Highway be accelerated.

Paying a visit to the under-construction Makran Coastal Highway on Saturday, the minister said the project would provide a link between Karachi and coastal regions.

He said ports of Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jewani are located along the coasted belt and that constructions of this highway would pave the way for development of these ports and areas around them. He said the highway would make Pakistan a centre of regional trade activities and trade links with ECO states would be promoted.

He said the project would also give boost to fishing industry particularly in the Balochistan and open opportunities of employment. He said pace of work on Lyari-Ormara section was satisfactory.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of the NHA Maj Gen Farrukh Javed said the Makran Coastal Highway had attained an extra-ordinary importance from economic viewpoint.

He said the project would be completed in three phases at an estimated cost of Rs 15 billion. He informed that 42 per cent of the work on Lyari-Ormara section had been completed, while two per cent work on Pasni-Gwadar section had been undertaken.