Nine industrial zones become part of CPEC

Following a meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said China and Pakistan were entering a new phase of the agreement under which they would set up nine industrial zones in the country.

Out of these, two industrial zones will be set up by the federal government in Islamabad and Karachi, while the rest will be established in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Fata and Azad Kashmir.

Additionally, Iqbal said during the meeting, “Rail-based mass transit projects for all provincial capitals of the country including Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta were also approved.”

These rail projects will be almost similar to the Orange Line Train currently being constructed in Lahore. “All of these four projects have been made part of the CPEC framework.”

“CPEC was covering the whole country and it was a clear message for those people who were levelling baseless allegations that the industrial zones were being set up only in one province,” he said.

Iqbal added that the JCC also approved new road projects for connectivity of all provinces which would improve the already existing infrastructure.

These included Chitral to Chakdara, Gilgit-Baltistan to Karakoram, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Mansehra highways, which would be linked to the nearby areas.

“For Balochistan, Basima-Khuzdar road would be built and for Karachi, the circular railway and Keti Bandar projects would be completed,” the minister added.

“Provinces will complete feasibility and technical studies as soon as possible so that work on projects could be started,” he said.