ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete all projects by December 2017, other than those which are scheduled for earlier completion.

Speaking at a meeting, the prime minister said that unprecedented infrastructure development activity under the NHA Road portfolio is underway in the country, and it will change the landscape of Pakistan across its length and breadth.

Read: Completion of CPEC projects by end of 2017 ordered

“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects are spread across all the provinces and the whole country will benefit from the fruits of this huge endeavour,” said the prime minister.

The prime minister was also briefed on the occasion and informed that an investment of $1 billion from the private sector will be achieved by the end of September for road infrastructure projects. It was also added that the construction activity would contribute 1 per cent to 1.5pc to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The current construction activity would add 1,272 kilometres of roads to the existing motorway network in the country.

The prime minister instructed the NHA to prepare comprehensive plans for extending Pakistan’s road network to enhance connectivity with Central Asian states in the first phase and later expanding roads links to South Asia during the second phase.

Read more: Raheel vows to complete CPEC at all costs

Pace and quality of the work by the NHA was also appreciated by the premier on the occasion and he directed to maintain international standards in the quality of road construction.

The 3,000-km corridor running from Pakistan's southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang region, was launched in April during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Islamabad despite India’s strong objections